Broken
by Raven524
Summary: Sequel to End of Innocence. Dean had brought Sam to Missouri hoping she can help his traumatized brother. But an urgent call from his father calls Dean away. Will Sam be able to get himself together in time to save them both? WARNING SPOILERS: This story
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun!

**Summary:** Sequel to End of Innocence. Dean had brought Sam to Missouri hoping she can help his traumatized brother. But an urgent call from his father calls Dean away. Will Sam be able to get himself together in time to save them both? WARNING SPOILERS: This story may refer to any episode in season 1, but will not be mentioning anything for season 2.

**Raven 524**: This story is taking place pre-season 2 and will be referring to a character that I created in Home Sweet House and End of Innocence. It may help if you read End of Innocence before this story, but it's not totally necessary.

**Broken**

**Chapter 1 – Lost**

Dean found Missouri and Nick in the kitchen. As he grabbed a cup of coffee from the counter, he sat down and sighed. Missouri and Nick continued their conversation which was fine with Dean, he was happy to just sit and let their conversation roll over him.

Missouri could sense that Dean was near the end of his rope. The exhaustion was rolling off the boy in waves. "So you managed to get all those children home…you have a wonderful gift Nick." Missouri's eyes twinkled as she nodded her head towards the sleeping figure in the other chair. "I didn't think he'd last long!"

Nick laughed. "I've learned that stubbornness runs in their family. Neither one of them give up unless they are forced to."

Missouri sighed. "Yes, it can be a blessing and a curse with these boys. But where are my manners, you must be exhausted as well. Why don't you help me get this boy to bed and then you can head up and get some sleep yourself."

Nick smiled. "I hadn't planned on staying Missouri…"

"Now I won't hear of it… I know you did most of the driving and you have to get your sleep before you go off. Besides, I have a feeling that you might still be needed."

Nick shrugged and helped Missouri get Dean into bed. Dean was so exhausted; he went immediately back to sleep without a comment. Nick headed upstairs to the room that Missouri had mentioned; glad that he could catch some sleep. He wondered at Missouri's remark, but figured he didn't have anything more pressing, so he'd stay as long as he was needed.

Missouri moved over to stand beside Sam's bed. She could feel the boy's pain. "Oh you poor child. Don't you worry. We are going to help you understand that the demon didn't win any part of your soul. You just get some sleep and we'll talk in the morning."

Sam smiled in his sleep, he wasn't awake, but unconsciously he knew that he was safe and some place that would help him find his way back.

**oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Dean's eyes snapped open as he heard the sound of soft sobs coming from his brother's bed. He quickly moved towards his brother, being careful not to make sudden moves. Sam had his back turned to Dean, his shoulders shaking with the effort to contain his distress. "Hey Sam, what's wrong?" Dean asked softly, sitting on the bed and beginning to rub Sam's back.

Sam refused to answer, how could he when he couldn't figure it out himself. He had woke up once again after reliving his torture at the hands of the demon. The demon's words constantly came back to haunt Sam along with the images of his father and brother telling him to go and be with the demon. He had given up, something neither his brother nor father would have done. He had tried to take the easy way out, but the kids had prevented him from his final act of defiance.

Sam took a deep breath, trying to get his raging emotions under control. "I'm…I'm sorry Dean, it's nothing…go back to bed."

Dean shook his head. "Sam, you can talk to me. There is nothing you can say that will make me mad or think any less of you."

Sam turned and looked at Dean, the despair and hopelessness in his hazel eyes almost too painful to see. "You don't understand Dean…he did things…made me do things…Oh God, I don't think I can do this anymore Dean." Sam said quietly as he turned his face from his brother's intent gaze.

"Sam, the things he did to you, made you do…had to be horrible. Look anyone else would have given up…but you, you held it together long enough to help me banish the bastard back to hell. I know you think you failed some how, but you didn't. You only did what you had to; you kept yourself alive."

Sam smiled at his brother. "Wow, I'm impressed."

"What?"

"For someone who hates chick flick moments, you just had a whopper of one…and the bad part is, you know whose house we are in don't you? I bet Missouri heard every word!" Sam started to giggle at the look of horror on his brother's face.

"I'm glad to see you're feeling better Sam…really, I try to be the big supportive brother and this is the thanks I get…I don't have to sit here and take this…I'm going to take and shower, and don't be surprised if there is no hot water left when I'm done. You can use some cooling off!" Dean rose with a smile on his face and grabbed his shaving kit. As he headed for the bathroom, he heard a slight hitch in Sam's breathing.

Dean turned and saw the panic in his brother's eyes. "I'm sorry Dean…I didn't mean to make you mad…I won't do it again…please don't be mad…don't leave me!"

Dean moved back and placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Dude, I was yanking your chain.

There is nothing you can say or do that will ever make me leave you…you're stuck with me."

Sam shook his head, once again ashamed of his reaction. "I'm ok Dean…really. Just take your shower before Missouri starts using that smelly incense in here…you really are starting to stink."

Dean ruffled Sam's hair as he smiled at his brother. "Obviously you haven't smelled yourself lately…the incense would be an improvement!" Dean winked as he left to take his shower.

Sam sat up slowly on the edge of the bed. His body was protesting the movement, but he knew from experience that the longer he gave in to the pain…the longer it would take to heal. Sam stood and shuffled over to his bag, pulling out the clean clothes he would need. As he sat back down on the bed, Dean's cell phone rang.

Sam grabbed the phone and noticed that the caller id was blocked. "Hello?"

"Sam? Where is Dean?" John asked impatiently

"Ah, he's taking a shower Dad, what's up?"

"I need you boys to check out a nasty haunting in Oklahoma…I'll send the file to you. Sam this one's important…Joshua was looking into it for me and I haven't heard from him in two days. I'd do it myself, but I'm tied up."

"But Dad…I don't know…" Sam swallowed; he knew that his injuries would prevent him from hunting for at least another couple of days.

"Sammy, what's wrong?" John heard the hesitation in Sam's voice. "Damn it Sam, you tell me…are one of you hurt?"

Sam just stared at the phone, not sure what to say. He jumped when he felt Dean's hand take the phone from his grasp.

"Hi Dad, it Dean." Dean listened for a moment as he watched his brother head slowly towards the bathroom.

"Dean, what is wrong with Sam?" John demanded

"It's kind of a long story Dad, and well he's pretty messed up right now. I don't think he can hunt yet."

Dean quickly filled his father in on what had happened. When he finished he heard his father's quick intake of breath. "You're at Missouri's right?" John asked

"Yeah Dad, but I can't leave Sam…he needs me right now." Dean couldn't believe his father was even thinking of leaving Sam alone.

"Dean, son…normally I would agree. But Joshua never misses checking in…you're only 6 hours away. I need you to just go and check things out. Missouri can handle Sam for a few hours until you get back. Son, I just have a bad feeling about this."

Dean jumped as he heard a soft voice from the hallway. "Dean, you can go. I'll be fine. Take Nick, he might be able to help you. I'll just get in the way."

TBC

Raven524: Ok, so the sequel is started. Hope you enjoy it…you know the drill, let me know if you want me to continue this one or not. And yes, I've got two of them going again…what can I say, I just love you guys!!


	2. Chapter 2 Urgent Business

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun!

**Broken**

**Chapter 2 – Urgent Business**

Dean looked thoughtfully at the doorway that his brother had just disappeared through. As he replayed his conversation with his father in his mind, he knew that Sam had heard and that he had come away with the wrong impression. "Damn it Sammy" Dean sighed to himself as he finished getting dressed. He could tell that this was going to be a long morning.

Sam let the water run over his body, wincing as some of the cuts and wounds protested. He really couldn't blame Dean for not wanting him on a hunt. Sam knew that in his current condition, he would get Dean killed. Dean would be concentrating on him and not on the job at hand; he also understood that they were the closest help for Joshua. But it still hurt to hear his brother say it out loud. He was useless_…"I told you that you would eventually belong to my father…your family doesn't need you anymore."_

"NO!" Sam slammed his fist against the tile, shaking his head. He wouldn't listen, demon's lie…but then Dean's words came back _"he's pretty messed up right now. I don't think he can hunt yet."_ If Sam couldn't hunt, how long before his brother and father left him behind; How long before Sam would be alone? How long before the demon came looking for him again?

Sam jumped as he heard a knock on the door. "Samuel Winchester, you need to get yourself out of that shower. I've got breakfast ready…now don't you dawdle boy or I'll have to come in after you!"

"I'm coming Missouri!" Sam yelled back, turning off the shower.

Missouri shook her head on the other side of the door. She had felt Sam's despair in the kitchen. She knew that Sam tended to feel things more deeply than his father or brother. He internalized his feelings and let them churn. If they didn't intercede soon, Sam would have himself convinced that the demon was right and she shivered at the consequences for this family if that ever happened. Down deep inside, Missouri knew that Sam would never turn evil, he had too much good inside him for that…he would sacrifice himself before turning and that she couldn't allow.

Missouri headed back to the kitchen and patted Dean on the shoulder. "He'll be here shortly…guess he didn't want me to dry him off."

Dean laughed. "You wouldn't!"

Missouri looked at Dean and winked. "Ok, maybe you would…but you gotta know that would traumatize my little brother for the rest of his life."

Nick entered to the sound of soft laughter in the kitchen. "I'm sorry I slept so long…I guess I was a little more tired than I thought. Thanks for the bed Missouri."

"Don't you worry about it boy. Now sit yourself down and help yourself to some breakfast."

A few moments later Sam walked slowly into the room. He smiled at the relaxed atmosphere in Missouri's kitchen. He took a seat, groaning slightly…it was time for his pain medication but Sam didn't want it. He hated the way it made him feel. He'd rather have the pain.

Dean noticed his brother's pain and immediately stood to get Sam's medication. "You need to eat something and then take your pills Sam."

"Dean, I'm fine…when are you leaving?" Sam tried to change the subject.

Dean shook his head. "No way Sam, you aren't going to try to tell me that you aren't in pain. I can see it in your face bro'…you need to take the medication so that your body can heal."

"Dean, I don't want the damn pills…I just want you to leave me alone!" Sam stood and started to leave the kitchen.

"Samuel Winchester you sit your butt down right this minute!" Missouri ordered.

Sam sat down again, but refused to look at anyone. "Now, we are all going to eat this breakfast that I spent the past hour fixing. Dean, fill a plate for your brother and then you can tell us what your Daddy wanted."

Dean looked at Sam, worried by his brother's sudden silence. "Sam?"

But Sam continued to stare at the table, his hands clasped tightly in his lap. He would not let them see the sudden fear that Missouri's command brought to him. He had to get this crippling fear under control. "I'm fine Dean" Sam finally managed in a hushed voice.

Dean shook his head as he got a plate of food and cup of coffee for Sam. He placed in front of his brother and couldn't help but place a hand on Sam's shoulder. He could feel the tension in his little brother's body. But he also knew that Sam hated to be the center of attention, so he quickly took his seat and filled Missouri and Nick in on what his father had told him.

"So an old family friend may be in trouble and your Dad wants you to just pick up and leave Sam?" Nick asked, not understanding the way the Winchester family dynamics worked.

"Yeah, that about sums it up…but he's right. It's only 6 hours away. I could be there in back in less than a day…" Dean looked at Sam who had been quiet up until now.

"You need to go Dean and you know it. I'll take a look at Dad's file while you're getting packed." Sam looked at Nick "I know it's a lot to ask, but I'd feel better knowing someone was watching Dean's back…"

"Don't say another word, Sam…sounds like this might be right down my alley. If it is a spirit that needs to cross over, maybe I can help it so that Dean can get back sooner than later."

"No offense Nick, but I don't need a damn babysitter…I've hunted on my own before." Dean glared at Sam.

"Boy watch your mouth! I happen to think that your brother is making perfect sense. You know that hunting alone is always more dangerous than with backup. Why that's probably why Joshua is in trouble right now. Besides, your brother doesn't need to worry about you…he's got enough on his plate as it is right now!" Missouri said as she stood facing Dean, but seeing the stricken look on his face softened her tone. "Dean honey, your brother will be just fine with me."

Dean sighed, he knew that they were right. But he didn't like leaving Sam alone when he knew his brother needed him. "Fine, I'll get my stuff…Nick if you're coming, be ready to leave in 30 minutes. The sooner we find out what happened to Joshua, the sooner we can be back." Dean looked at Sam. "And I will be back little brother, you can bank on it!"

Sam rose quietly from his chair and headed out to the Impala. He needed his laptop if he was going to begin doing the research that Dean would need. At least he could do that much for his brother. As Sam slowly walked back into the house, Missouri met him at the door. "You could have asked one of us to get that for you Sam…you know, there is nothing wrong with needing a little help once in a while…it doesn't make you weak."

"I only went to the car Missouri." Sam sighed, realizing that the short walk had exhausted him. But he wasn't going to let it show, he wasn't in the mood for an 'I told you so' from Missouri.

Sam felt a sharp crack on his rear end as he passed by Missouri. "What?"

"I told you so!" Missouri said as she left Sam standing in the living room, chagrinned. He had forgotten for a moment where he was.

Sam quickly found the file that his father had sent to him. There were a number of newspaper articles from the last five years. Each article described the mysterious disappearance of various men. All of the men had last been seen in the Honky Tonk Bar and Grill. The bartender remembered that each of them had left alone around midnight. The next morning, their car or truck was found on a deserted road outside town. The doors were open, but there was no sign of foul play. It looked like the men had walked away. An extensive search of the fields in the area had not shown any clues. The disappearances always happened around the same time of the year, the month of September with a total of three men missing each year. Sam felt a shiver as he realized that Joshua disappeared around the same time of the month as the other men which left 2 more to go if the pattern stayed true.

Sam jumped as he felt a hand on his shoulder. "You sure you're ok with this Sam…I mean, maybe Dad can find someone else…"

"Dean, I'll be fine…besides it looks like Joshua may have gotten into more than he bargained for. I need to do more research, but it looks like you're the one who needs to be careful." Sam quickly filled Dean in on what he had read so far.

Dean shook his head. "Oh my god, Sam, I don't think I can do this one!"

"Dean what's wrong?" Sam asked concerned.

"Dude, I can't be found in a bar named 'Honky Tonk'! I mean, that's just not cool."

Sam slapped Dean on the shoulder. "You jackass!"

Dean smiled. "That's Mr. Jackass to you!" Dean ducked another swat from Sam as he grabbed his bag and called for Nick up the stairs. As he turned to leave Dean looked once more at his brother. "You know this is only temporary right? No one rides shotgun but you Sammy."

Sam smiled as he watched his brother and Nick drive away. He hoped Dean was right, because seeing someone else sitting beside his brother just didn't feel right. Turning back to the computer, Sam decided he could dig a little further. Maybe he could find something out before his brother reached his destination. He wasn't totally useless.

**oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Joshua groaned as he opened his eyes. Not that it did him any good. It was pitch black where he was lying and it was damp. Joshua shivered trying to remember how he got here. But his mind was too foggy. As he reached into his pocket and pulled out his flashlight. He turned on the light, but wished that he hadn't. A number of human skulls were looking back at him.

TBC

Raven524: Sorry for the delay guys, but I've been battling the flu bug for the past two days. So much for the flu shot (I guess it worked, I got it). Anyway, poor Sam has been left behind to try to get himself back together while Dean and Nick are off to find out what happened to Joshua. Of course, we know it's never good when our boys split up don't we? Don't forget to push the little button and drop me a line!


	3. Chapter 3 Baby Steps

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun!

**Broken**

**Chapter 3 – Baby Steps**

Dean couldn't get past the feeling that he was making a mistake leaving Sam when he was so vulnerable. He knew that Missouri would take care of Sam, but his brother hadn't been able to handle having Dean out of his sight since the incident at the orphanage.

"He'll be ok Dean…Sam is strong." Nick said as he watched Dean tighten his grip on the steering wheel. He understood that Dean was torn between helping out his family's friend and taking care of his brother.

"I know…but I don't have to like it. You know that we might not be dealing with a spirit here right?" Dean looked sideways at Nick, once again realizing how badly he missed his brother's form in that seat.

"I know Dean, but Sam is right. Since this Joshua has disappeared and I assume, he was a pretty experience hunter…you may need back up. I know I'm not as good as Sam…but I can dial 911 pretty fast when I need to."

"911 huh…great!" Dean laughed. He just hoped that Nick didn't get hurt during this hunt. He already had enough trouble dealing with guilt when his brother got injured...he didn't need someone else to worry about.

"Well at least if it is a spirit…I might be able to save you the fun job of digging up the remains to salt and burn the bones. Even vengeful spirits can be convinced to move on…and those who don't, well as you have said…there's always a way to persuade them to move on."

"Let's just hope that Sam can find out more about what's going on before we get there. I hate going into this thing blind."

**ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Sam looked up from his computer as he heard Missouri enter the room. She carried in a tray that had some soup, juice and his pills. "Missouri…thanks, but I.."

"Now don't you give me any lip here young man. Your brother left you in my care and that's exactly what I'm going to do." Missouri moved Sam's computer to the side and put the tray in front of him. She took a seat beside Sam and waited.

Sam sighed, he didn't want to hurt Missouri's feelings, but he just couldn't eat the soup. He picked up the juice and took a few sips, before quickly setting it down. As he reached for the computer, he felt a slap on his wrist.

"Sam, why are you having trouble eating?" Missouri watched as Sam swallowed, a sudden look of terror on his face and he started to rub the bandage on one of his hands. "Let me see your hand sugar…has it become infected?"

"NO! I mean, no it's just fine Missouri. Look, I'm not really hungry right now…I'll eat something later ok?" Sam hoped that she would give in, but he should have known better.

"Sam, when was the last time you actually ate anything?" Missouri could see the guilty look on Sam's face. "And don't bother lying to me…you know I can tell when you're lying."

"If you can read my thoughts, then you'd know why I can't eat!" Sam shouted as he rose from the couch, anger replacing the fear that had been there a few moments before. "I will eat when I want to eat and not when I'm told like some child."

"Well then Sam, stop acting like one." Missouri said calmly.

"I'm not acting like a child!" Sam yelled again

"Boy, keep this up and you're going to rule the day you were born, now we can both sit here and yell at each other or you can just go ahead and tell me what's botherin' you." Missouri watched as Sam settled back onto the couch. She didn't miss the grimace of pain that the movement was causing Sam. The boy was stubborn just like his father.

Sam realized that he was being an idiot. It just seemed like his emotions were all over the place and he couldn't control them. "I'm sorry Missouri…it's just…I don't know…" Sam looked down at the carpet. He couldn't get past the shame of giving in. He should have been stronger.

Missouri touched Sam's hand and gently pulled the bandage off. The wound underneath was raw looking and had to hurt. "You just sit here for a moment…I've got a salve that will help those wounds of yours heal quicker. The sooner they heal…the sooner you can stop taking the pills."

Sam smiled, grateful that Missouri was going to give him a few moments to collect himself. But as he looked at the back of his hand and the food sitting in front of him, the memory of Wendell using the fork to force him to obey flashed back with an intensity that terrified Sam. Suddenly, he wasn't in the safety of Missouri's living room, but back strapped to a chair. Wendell using the fork to puncture his hands and other parts of his body. _"Just give in Sammy boy…you know you're too weak to resist. All you have to do is eat and drink what I've made for you and the pain will go away!"_

Missouri heard a scream from her living room and rushed back in to see Sam sitting in the corner of the room, his knees pulled to his chest and rocking as if he could make himself disappear. "Oh honey, what did that monster do to you?" Missouri walked up to Sam slowly, her hand touching the top of his bowed head. She could feel the silent sobs that were wracking his body. The fear and shame were so intense it almost took her breath away.

"Sam you need to talk about it. Until you can talk about what happened to you, what you are feeling, you're going to be trapped. Can you hear me?" Missouri continued her gentle stroking of Sam's hair until she heard a soft cry come from Sam's lips. "Dean…I need…Dean."

Missouri gently pulled Sam's face up until she could see into his hazel eyes. The emptiness pulled at her heart. "Come on Sam; let's get you off this cold floor and onto the couch. Can you help me?"

Sam blinked as if he was seeing her for the first time. She watched as the fear was replaced with shame on his expressive face. "Samuel Winchester, you have nothing to be ashamed of. You have a choice here, you can let that damn demon keep playing with your head or you can accept that those who matter, who love you, will never see you as weak."

Sam knew that what she was saying was true, but he just couldn't seem to get past the feelings that were boiling beneath the surface. He felt broken and he didn't know how to fix it. He slowly got to his feet and followed Missouri back to the couch. The pain pills were actually looking good to him right now; maybe they would dull the pain in his mind as well as his body. Sam reached for the pills and took them, a defeated sigh escaping his lips…even in this he had given in again.

Missouri gently worked on Sam's hands, replacing the bandages after she finished. "After you eat and go to rest, I'll use the salve on the rest of your wounds…and no bashfulness here Sam. You need to let people help you…you are strong, but even Superman needed help once in a while."

"He forced me to eat and drink…I…I couldn't take the pain anymore Missouri…I gave in and did what he wanted…every time I see…Oh God, this is so messed up!" Sam felt the tears beginning to run down his face again.

"Let me guess, each time you see food you think you failed. The demon made you think that you were weak for not being able to withstand his torture. And just now…you had a flash back to what happened right?" Missouri kept her voice calm, trying to help Sam get it out.

Sam nodded, afraid to meet her eyes. He was surprised when she pulled his face up to meet her own eyes. He didn't see pity or disgust…he saw understanding in her soft brown eyes. "Sam, it will take time. But I promise that you can get past this. You just need to take baby steps…try starting today. I'm not _telling you_ to eat; _I'm asking_ you…for me and for that stubborn brother of yours."

Sam reached for the cup of soup with trembling hands, as he brought the cup to his lips and started to drink, he began to gag as soon as the liquid hit his throat. He felt Missouri place her arm around his shoulders. "You know did I ever tell you the time that your father ended up on my doorstep with his butt in a sling?"

Sam continued drinking but focused on what Missouri was saying. "What?"

"Well it seems that he was out hunting a demon dog. But he didn't count on the local hunters who were also out hunting what they thought was a rabid dog. You're father always prided himself on being able to blend in with his surroundings…I'm betting he wished he hadn't blended so well that day. I guess one of the men saw your father crawling through the woods and took aim…next thing your father knew he was in the hospital getting the fragments removed from his rear end."

Sam started to giggle at the thought of his father having to explain to the doctors what happened. "So, he ah, came here to recover?"

"'Shore did, unfortunately for him he couldn't change the bandage himself…plus he knew that my salves would make the wounds heal quicker. It's amazing how soon pride goes when you're hurting…people will do things they would never do normally." Missouri smiled as she noticed that the cup of soup was empty and the glass of juice was gone. Without making a big deal about it, she gathered the tray and left the room. "I know you want to do a little more work on the hunt for your brother, so you do that while I handle the dishes. But I'll be back in a bit to help you into bed….and before you give me any argument…just remember, who handled your father's little problem. If I can deal with John Winchester, the most stubborn person I know, his son shouldn't be a problem should he?"

Sam smiled as he watched the black woman walk into the kitchen. As he sat back, he realized that he had eaten for the first time…really eaten and was able to keep it down. Missouri would never know how much she had done…"Your welcome Sam" the voice of Missouri floated from the kitchen wrapping Sam in its warmth.

TBC

Raven524: So Missouri wouldn't let our Sammy off the hook, but unfortunately she's only hit the tip of the ice burg with him. Hope you are all still enjoying the story and a special thanks to all of you who are sending me a review…they are better than chicken soup!!


	4. Chapter 4 Family History

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun!

**Broken**

**Chapter 4 – Family History**

Sam was getting frustrated. So far he hadn't been able to find anything to tie the mysterious disappearances to anything. The only thing he knew for sure was that each night of the Harvest Moon another young man went missing….and tonight was the 2nd night of the Harvest Moon cycle. He sat back on the sofa and closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the combination of exhaustion and the pain pills pulling him into sleep.

A moment later Sam snapped his eyes open. He had to do this for Dean…he couldn't be there in person, but he could still research. Sam began searching for other deaths or accidents that had happened during the same time period, but nothing was showing up. He decided to do a search on the bar. It seemed that the bar had been built in the early 1900's. It had many owners over time, but the first owner had been a cattle baron who also had once owned all of the land just outside of town. Sam pulled up a map and saw that the road that the men had disappeared on ran through the center of the Cattle Baron's property. "Ok, now maybe we're getting somewhere."

Sam began to research the Cattle Baron and his family. Erasmus Warren and his family had come to Oklahoma during the great land grab. It wasn't long before he became one of the wealthiest men in the territory, owning much of the small town that carried his name. According to the records he had two sons and a daughter. Sam knew that in order to find out more, someone would need to check county records in Warrenville to find out what happened to each of the family members. Sam picked up his phone and dialed Dean's number.

Dean figured they would get to Warrenville in late afternoon. Then he and Nick could ask around to see what they could find out before checking out the bar. Dean reached for his phone and smiled when he saw Sam's ID pop up. "Hey Sammy…'bout time you called."

"Dean, listen. I may have found something." Sam quickly filled Dean in on what he had found out so far.

"So, we need to find out what happened to the family…do you have the names?" Dean asked as he put the phone on speaker. "Go ahead Sam, Nick will write down the information. You're on speakerphone."

"Ok, the father was Erasmus Warren. He had two sons, Gerald Warren and Lawrence Warren. He also had a daughter Becky Warren."

"So, all we need to do is hit county records and maybe the library. We can probably find out about any local legends at the bar tonight. You did good Sammy." Dean said knowing that his brother was probably feeling pretty down.

"Dean, you have to stay with Nick. The two of you can't separate at all for the next two nights…all the disappearances happened during the Harvest Moon and the men who were taken were alone." Sam wished he could be there; he needed to be there to watch out for Dean.

"Don't worry Sam, I'll have his back." Nick said quietly. He could hear the worry in Sam's voice.

"Ok, but you both call in at midnight…I want to hear from both of you!"

"You got it Sammy, we'll call. How are you doing?" Dean asked as he took the phone so that they could speak privately.

"I'm…I'm…fine…just be careful Dean…I don't think I can do this without you ok?" Sam hated the weakness he heard in his voice.

"Sammy, what's wrong?" Dean could hear the hitch in his brother's voice.

"Nothing…I'm just tired Dean. Missouri made me take the damn pain pills…they make me so groggy." Sam yawned as he felt his eyes beginning to close.

Missouri walked in and saw Sam's head drop to his chest. The cell phone in his hand began to fall as she grabbed it and put it to her ear.

"SAMMY!" Dean sounded panicked.

"It's ok Dean. Your stubborn brother just fell asleep. Now you be careful and come back to this boy or I'm going to have something to say to you!" Missouri listened to Dean's bark of laughter and then smiled softly.

"Missouri, thanks for taking care of him for me…I don't know how long this will take…but I'm glad he's with you." Dean said softly as he hung up the phone.

"Ok Nick, looks like you and I get to do research. Sam's down for the count right now."

"No problem, I love doing research…I'll hit the library, why don't you check county records."

Dean shook his head sighing. "Why me?...I'm surrounded by geeks!"

Nick smiled and responded "That's Mr. Geek to you and you better be careful or I just might let you do the library scene."

"No, county records sounds good….I'm good" Dean chuckled, but a moment later he got quiet as he thought about his brother. He missed his geek brother…even though he could be more moody than most women; he never realized how good it felt to have his brother around.

"Don't worry Dean; this is just a temporary partnership. No one will ever be able to come between you and Sam. We'll make this quick and you can get back to your brother." Nick watched the small smile on Dean's face. He just hoped that they could get this tied up quickly, because he knew that Dean wouldn't rest until his brother was sitting where he was.

**ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Joshua tried to stand, but his ankle was broken and wouldn't hold his weight. As he played the light up, he could make out a shaft above him. "Just great, where's Lassie when you need her? You hear me Lassie? Go get help and tell them Timmy's in the well!" Joshua laughed, he must be losing it. He still couldn't remember how he got here. The last thing he remembered was leaving the bar and then nothing until he woke up here. "Man, John is never gonna let me live this one down." Of course, that meant he had to figure out a way to get out of here so he could tell him.

**ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Missouri helped Sam to his feet and guided the young man to the bed room. "Ok Sam, you just need to sit on the bed, that's it. I'm going to take your shirt and pants off so I can see to your wounds."

"M'kay" Sam mumbled, his eyes still closed. The fog from the drugs making him feel like he was under water.

Missouri gently removed Sam's shirt and T-shirt, being careful not to cause the boy any more pain that was necessary. She couldn't stop the tears as her eyes surveyed the damage to Sam's body. As she gently removed the rest of his clothes, leaving him in just his boxers she murmured comforting words to the young man. She could feel the tremors begin in his body as he felt the cool air on his skin.

Suddenly Sam's eyes popped open, the fear making his eyes look huge in his too pale face. "NO! Please don't hurt me anymore…please I'll do anything just don't hurt me!" Sam fell from the bed and crawled towards the far wall. Once again, he pulled himself up into a protective ball and sobbed.

Missouri quickly walked over to the young man, realizing that the drugs weren't helping the situation. They just made it harder for Sam to distinguish what was real and what was memory. "Sam, you're safe honey. Do you hear me? Find my voice and follow it."

"DEAN! I want Dean…why did you leave me Dean?" Sam cried as he kept hearing the demon's words _"Your brother and father will have no choice Sam, they will either have to leave you or kill you…funny, they have spent years protecting your sorry ass only to have to hunt you down and kill you in the end…why don't you give in now Sam and save them. I promise no harm will come to them if you join us."_

"NO! I won't join you…DAD, please don't I haven't turned…I would never. Don't shoot, DAD!" Sam's shoulders shook as his breathing became more ragged.

Missouri quickly left to get Sam's cell phone and returned. A few moments later she had Dean on the phone. "I'm sorry Dean, I'm not sure what I did to set him off…but your brother needs to hear your voice Dean…he needs to know you haven't left him."

Dean could hear Sam's sobs in the background and the frantic calling of his name. "What were you doing Missouri?" Dean asked quickly as he pulled the car to the side of the road.

"I just helped him get undressed and I was getting ready to check his wounds. He was fine at first…he's back at the orphanage Dean and I can't seem to get him to focus enough to understand he's safe."

"Ok, when we found him, he was strapped to a table with no clothes on Missouri…I'm just guessing, but he thinks he's back in the lab because he doesn't have his clothes on. Look, put the phone to his ear." Missouri hurried and placing a gentle hand on Sam's head, placed the phone to his ear.

"SAMMY!" Dean yelled, trying to get through to his brother. "Sam, can you hear me? You're safe; you're not at the orphanage. Say something Sam!" It took everything Dean had not to turn the car around and head back to Missouri's. He never should have left Sam.

"Dean?" Sam whispered, lifting his head searching for the source of his brother's voice.

"Yes, Sam it's me. I'm just pulling into Warrenville. Do you remember?" Dean held his breath. He could almost see Sam struggling to focus, to come back from where his mind was taking him.

"Dean…what happened?" Sam sounded confused on the phone.

"No big deal, you just had a little nightmare Sam. Are you ok?" Dean asked trying to mask the worry in his tone.

Sam sighed, once again shame flashed across his features as he struggled to put the mask back in place and get his emotions under control. "I'm fine…really Dean, I'm sorry I bothered you. You need to concentrate on the hunt Dean…don't worry about me!"

"Sam, how many times do I have to tell you…it's my job to worry. Now let me talk to Missouri for a moment…you're sure your ok? 'Cause if you're not, I'll head back now. Dad can find someone else to find Joshua."

"NO! Really Dean, I'm fine." Sam handed the phone to Missouri and stood shakily on his feet. He stumbled towards the bed and sat down, his head hanging to his chest.

"Missouri, I need to keep working this case, but I'm going to give Dad a call. He needs to get here and take over with Nick. I never should have left Sam alone."

"Now don't you go blaming yourself for this Dean. You're brother will be just fine…now that I know what triggered the attack, we can work on it. You just take care of yourself you hear!"

"Ok Missouri, but Nick and I will be checking in every couple of hours. Just to make sure everything is ok. You call me if he needs me." Dean hung up the phone and took a deep breath. He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Dean, I know this is hard, but Missouri seems to know your brother almost as well as you do. She'll help him until you can get back .

Dean put the car in gear and headed into Warrenville. "You're right. The sooner we find Joshua and get rid of whatever is killing these men, the sooner I can get back to Sam. I'll drop you at the Library while I go check out county records." Dean was still tempted to call his father. But Missouri was right. He was already here and Sam would never stop blaming himself if something happened to Joshua because of him.

"Ok Joshua, let's find out where you're hiding so I can get back to Sam!"

TBC

Raven524: Poor Sam, having meltdowns with Dean on the road. Will Nick and Dean find out what happened to Joshua or become another statistic? Reviews are always welcomed and cherished.


	5. Chapter 5 Mysterious Family Member

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun!

**Broken**

**Chapter 5 – Mysterious Family Member**

Missouri sat quietly beside Sam. "Sam, why do you think that you should be ashamed?"

Sam's shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it Missouri…I can't…not yet."

"Sam I need to ask you something. You can say no if you want, but in order to help you…I need to know what happened. These flashbacks are being triggered because Dean and I are doing things that remind you of what the demon did to you. If I knew what happened, we can try to watch out for the triggers."

Sam looked up at Missouri and sighed. "You want to do a reading on me…go into my mind and have me re-live the experience."

"Yes Sam, I really think it's the best way for me to help you. But I won't do it if you don't want me to. We can just keep going like we are and handle things as they come up. There's no pressure here Sam, it's your choice." Missouri watched the emotions flowing across Sam's face. You didn't have to be psychic to see that the thought terrified him. Missouri reached over and patted Sam's hand. "You know what. Don't worry about it Sam. Why don't you just lie down and try to get some rest. I'm going to apply the salve we discussed because we need to get you off those pain killers. I think that with the salve, you should be able to get by with an over the counter pain reliever…how does that sound?"

Sam knew that Missouri was giving him a way out. But he also had a feeling that his brother was going to need him. The longer he let this go on, the harder it was going to be. No amount of time was going to allow him to forget. Sam took a deep breath and looked at Missouri. "What do I need to do?"

Missouri smiled. Anyone who thought Sam Winchester was weak didn't know him. She knew that the overprotective brother and father was part of the problem. It made Sam feel like he wasn't as strong as his father and brother, even thought she knew that neither Dean nor John viewed Sam as weak. "Well first you need to let me apply the salve to those wounds so that we can get you off the pain killers. Then, I just need you to fall asleep. You won't even know I'm there Sam."

Sam nodded as he stretched out on the bed. He watched as Missouri gently removed the bandages from the deeper wounds and applied the salve. Sam had to admit that the salve was taking some of the pain from his tired body. "Thanks Missouri…that does make it hurt less. I really hate these pain pills; they make it hard for me to think straight." Sam mumbled as his eyes began to close again. Before he fell asleep, he grabbed Missouri's hand. "Missouri…just promise me something."

"What is it Sam?"

"First, you can tell Dean, but I don't want Dad to know ok?" The shame in Sam's eyes was clear to see.

"Sam honey, you're father can be a hard man. But he loves you and would never hold this against you. But if you don't want me to tell him…I won't. Now what else?"

Sam looked away for a moment, trying to keep the panic from his voice. "I'm afraid to sleep Missouri…I mean, I always end up back there and I'm afraid…what if I wake up and find out I'm still there, trapped?"

Missouri knew that it had taken a lot for Sam to admit he was afraid. She reached down and pulled Sam into her arms, rocking him as if he were a small child. "You don't need to be afraid Sam; I'll keep watch and wake you as soon as the nightmares begin." She smiled softly as she heard Sam softly mumble as his eyes closed. "Thanks Dean."

**ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Dean and Nick had just checked into a hotel. Dean had also found out that Joshua had a room reserved as well. "Nick you stay here for a moment while I run over and check out Joshua's room. Maybe there will be something in there to help us."

"Sure Dean, I want to go over the stuff you found and compare it against what I learned at the library. We can compare notes when you get back." Nick didn't even watch as Dean left. He was already digging into the materials.

Dean shook his head. He found it hard to believe that there could be a bigger geek than Sam. As he thought about his brother, he pulled out his cell phone and placed a quick call. The phone was answered on the first ring and he wasn't surprised to hear Missouri's hushed voice.

"Hey Missouri, how's Sam doing?"

"He's finally sleeping Dean. I think that the salve is going to allow him to change to an over the counter pain reliever tomorrow. That should help him…the prescription is making it difficult for Sam to figure out what is real and what is memory."

"I know Missouri, but he has been in so much pain…are you sure?" Dean hated to see his brother in pain.

"I think so Dean, but don't you worry…if it doesn't work, I'll make sure he takes the other pills."

"Well, let Sam know that it sounds like he was on target with his research. I think we are dealing with some kind of vengeful spirit here. But we're not sure yet…I'm heading over to Joshua's room now to see if he had anything that could help us. I'll check back again in a couple of hours…ah Missouri.."

"I know Dean…and you're welcome!"

Dean smiled as he hung up the phone. Some times it was nice to have her read his thoughts, it made chick flick comments almost bearable. Dean quickly picked the lock on Joshua's room and entered. He smiled at the mess that greeted his eyes. Joshua was never known for his neatness. Moving over to the small desk in the room, Dean glanced at the articles and notes that Joshua had made. It looked like they were on the same track. Dean quickly gathered up the information that Joshua had gathered and stuffing it in his jacket, headed back to his room.

Nick looked up as Dean entered. "Did you find anything?"

"I'm not sure Nick, but I grabbed all his notes. It looks like he found the same articles that you found at the library…so at least we are on the right track." Dean added the pile of Joshua's notes to the stack of papers on the desk. "So what do you think Nick…do we have a vengeful spirit here?"

Nick quickly pulled his own notes out and ran over what they had found out so far. Nick had created a family tree and inserted dates and causes of death. "You know it's really weird…" Nick mused.

"What?" Dean asked waiting for Nick to let him in.

"Eramus Warren and his wife Clare had three children. Just like Sam said. But when Eramus died of natural causes, the obituary listed the survivors as Becky Warren and Aaron Warren. Clare Warren died giving birth to her daughter Becky. Gerald Warren and Lawrence Warren both died during a flu epidemic. Their obituary listed Eramus, Becky and Aaron as survivors."

"When did Becky die?" Dean asked

"She died about 10 years ago of heart failure, but there was no surviving relatives listed in her obituary…I think we need to find out more about Aaron."

Dean had been looking through Joshua's notes. "Hmmm…Joshua was able to find a pattern of similar disappearances over 50 years ago and then again about 30 years ago…then nothing until about 5 years ago. Look's like that it took a few years after Becky's death for the estate to be settled. Since no living relatives could be located, the land was finally sold to an oil company. But they haven't done anything with the land other than to demolish the old homestead…this article says they did it because local kids kept going there to check out the sightings of a ghost that was said to roam the house calling for his father."

"Well at least is sounds like a spirit…maybe upset because of the destruction of the homestead." Nick said as he closed his laptop.

"Ok, we'll stop off at the hall of records on the way to the bar." Dean looked at his watch, it was getting late. "You know if Sam is right, another person may go missing tonight…we need to be careful. I don't want you wandering off once we get to the bar ok?"

"Don't worry Dean; I'll stick to you like glue." Nick hoped that would be enough to make sure that neither of them suffered the same fate as Joshua.

**ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Joshua had lost track of time. Other than he could tell that it was night again. He had watched the light filtering down from the top of the well during the day. It was now pitch black again and the temperature was falling. Suddenly a form appeared in front of Joshua. "Father why did you disown me?" The flickering image cried as it approached Joshua.

Joshua wished he had his shot gun with him. "Son, I'm not your father…do you know your father's name, maybe I can help you find him." Joshua figured it might be better if he tried to reason with the spirit. After all, there really wasn't much more he could do at this point.

"Stop denying it! You know that you are the one!" The ghost charged towards Joshua, pinning the hunter against the wall of the well. "You will admit what you did or you will die!"

Joshua felt the air being forced from his lungs as he struggled for air. "You will not leave here until you admit to what you have done!"

Joshua sank to the floor unconscious once more.

**ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Sam sat up in the bed, sweat pouring from his face and the pain in his head telling him that what he had just dreamed was a vision. Missouri was there, using a wash cloth to sooth Sam and wash the sweat and tears from his face. "That's it Sam…take it easy. I would have woken you sooner, but I could tell that you were having a vision…can you tell me what you saw Sam?" Missouri had only caught a glimpse before she left Sam's mind.

"Missouri…we have to call Dean…I saw Joshua…he's in trouble Missouri…we have to get to him or he's going to die!"

TBC

Raven524: Wow, 5 Chapters and our boys aren't candidates for the local hospital…unfortunately, that won't last much longer I'm afraid…will Sam be able to figure it out in time to help Dean…what will happen to Dean and Nick? Guess you will all just have to keep reading. (You didn't think I'd give it away this early did you???). Thanks again to everyone who is reading this story, especially those who are sending me reviews. Please keep them coming!


	6. Chapter 6 Midnight

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun!

**Broken**

**Chapter 6 – Midnight**

"_Missouri…we have to call Dean…I saw Joshua…he's in trouble Missouri…we have to get to him or he's going to die!"_

Missouri helped Sam sit up and handed him the cell phone. A moment later Sam was staring at the phone in his hand, his brother's phone had rung, but there was no answer. "Missouri, what time is it?"

"A little after Midnight Sam, why?"

"Damn it! Something is wrong, I can feel it. I have to get to Dean now!" Sam swung his legs off the bed and stood, closing his eyes against the pain and dizziness that was threatening to take his legs from underneath him.

"Sam you have to stay here, you're in no shape to help your brother boy…all you'll succeed in doing is to get yourself killed. Now set down this instant!" Missouri grabbed Sam's arm a little rougher than she intended. She heard the sharp intake of breath, and felt the tremor in Sam's body.

Sam could feel himself losing control, but a part of him pushed back this time. He wouldn't let it stop him. Nothing could stop him from getting to his brother. "Let me go Missouri…I need to leave now before it's too late."

Sam pulled on his clothes, not bothering to worry about Missouri's presence. "Fine, if you're going to be foolish then so am I. You can't do this on your own. So I'm going with you."

"Missouri, no! I can do this…really, I'll be fine." Sam shoved the rest of his things into his bag and slung it over his shoulder, grimacing slightly as the pain from his wounds complained.

Missouri planted herself in front of Sam, hands on her hips. "Now you listen to me and you listen good. I'm going with you and we are going to call your father on the way. Otherwise, I'm going to flatten you where you stand!"

Sam paused, almost ready to challenge her but then he saw the determination in her face. Besides, he and Dean had learned at a young age not to get Missouri's dander up. "Ok fine, but I'm leaving in the next 10 minutes. Do you have gas in your car Missouri?"

"Humph…guess you can check it while I'm getting my things…including my spoon!" Missouri smiled as she watched the young man finish his preparations. She noticed that he hadn't backed down from her challenge in fear…his concern for his brother was obviously keeping him from slipping back. She just hoped that he could stay focused long enough to do what had to be done.

**ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Sam had thrown his things on to the back seat of Missouri's old Cadillac. It was an older car, but still had plenty of miles left on it according to Missouri. Sam just hoped she was right. Luckily the tank was full. As he backed the car out of the garage, he tapped his fingers on the wheel. It was already 1:00 a.m. and Dean still wasn't answering his cell phone.

Missouri opened the passenger door and climbed in just as Sam finished leaving another message for his brother. "Still no answer Sam?" Missouri asked quietly "Sam?"

Sam was holding his head, and pinching his nose as another pain hit him.

_Dean was walking over uneven ground. Sam called to his brother, but Dean never answered. It almost looked like he was sleep walking. _

_Suddenly Dean disappeared from sight. It was if the ground swallowed him. Sam heard his brother cry out and heard a sickening crunch followed by silence._

"DEAN!" Sam cried as he shook his head. The pain was almost unbearable, but he refused to give in. A moment later he felt a hand on his arm.

"You had another vision Sam…can you tell where Dean is?" Missouri asked

"No, I'm worried that whatever got Joshua has Dean…we have to get there!" Sam pulled out onto the street and roared down the road.

**oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Dean and Nick were sitting at the bar having another beer while talking to the pretty bartender. "So I hear that you used to have a haunted house around here?" Dean asked

"Yeah, it was really creepy. I guess the legend was that the ghost of Aaron Warren was searching for his Daddy. Any man who went near the homestead during the Harvest Moon would disappear and never be seen from again. But it's just a story to scare people away from the place."

"Aaron Warren huh…any relation to Eramus Warren, the founder of this town?" Nick chimed in as he took another drink of his beer.

"Well, sort of. The story I heard from my grandma was that Becky Warren was having an affair with a drifter who would meet with her during the Harvest Moon each year. He probably was out here around that time, helping out as a hand during the harvesting time. My grandma said that one year; Becky went away for a month or two and came back with a young child. Her father being who he was, was able to protect Becky from the backlash that most young unmarried woman would have suffered through back then. But he never accepted young Aaron as a true Warren. I guess Becky also became bitter and in the end hated the man who had fathered her child, but she never told Aaron who that man was. As far as I know, Aaron never found out who his father was….pretty sad if you ask me."

"Sure is…of course, the whole family is dead now right?" Dean asked as he finished his beer.

"Yep, Becky died a few years ago. Aaron died just before her, but they say his body was never found and no one knows why he died."

"Well thanks for the ghost story…I think my friend and I will be heading back to our hotel." Dean stood ready to leave.

"So, sounds like we need to find the bones of Aaron or maybe see if we can find his spirit." Nick said as they headed out into the night. Suddenly Nick felt a chill and stopped. He closed his eyes and opened them again, concentrating at an area behind the bar. "Dean…he's here! I can see him and he's approaching that guy who just left before us."

Dean saw the man heading for his car parked at the rear of the bar. "Hey! You got a minute!" Dean called to the man who turned and looked at him.

"What do you want?" The man asked, suspicious of the stranger approaching him.

"Don't I know you from some where?" Dean said again, using his charm to put the man at ease. He continued to walk the man to his car and watched as the man got into the driver's seat.

"I don't think so mister…you must have me confused with someone else." The man smiled as he pulled out of the parking lot.

"Sorry, my mistake!" Dean called after the man as his car disappeared. "Nick can you see still see Casper?"

Nick wasn't paying attention to Dean at the moment. He was watching as the ghost became clearer. The man appeared to be in his late 40's with a haunted look in his eyes. "Hello Aaron, my name is Nick. I'm here to help you."

"Help me? How can you help me? I have to find my father…he is the only one that can make things right."

"You're father isn't here Aaron, you are looking for him in the wrong place. You need to move on and you will find the answers that you seek." Nick could see the anger building in the ghost's face.

"Ah Dean…I think we may need to use that persuasion we talked about." Nick looked over at Dean and saw him pull out the sawed off shot gun from inside his coat. He aimed at the ghostly figure that he saw hovering near Nick. "Duck Nick!" Dean called as he took aim and fired.

The ghost screamed and disappeared. Dean reached over and helped Nick to his feet. As he stood, he felt a shove from behind that sent him and Nick both into the wall of the bar. The gun clattered from Dean's hands as he felt himself yanked around to face the ghost of Aaron Warren.

"Why did you try to kill me Dad? What did I ever do to you!" Aaron roared as he moved towards Dean. Dean stood in front of Nick who was trying to catch his breath. "I'm not your father you sick bastard."

"I'm not a bastard…I have a mother and a father! You will make things right or you will die!" Dean watched in horror as the ghost moved towards him with alarming speed. There was a moment of pain and then nothing.

Nick watched in horror as the ghost entered Dean's body. Dean jerked, but then started to move towards his car. Nick ran ahead and jumped into the back seat. He couldn't shoot or he'd hurt Dean. His best bet was to ride along and see where the spirit took Dean. But that hope was soon dashed as the back door opened and Dean grabbed him by the back of the shirt pulling him from the car. Nick fought, trying to knock Dean out…but he was no match for the hunter.

Nick was down on the ground, with Dean on top of him. He tried to block the savage blows, but soon the world went dark and Nick lay on the ground bleeding. Dean calmly got up and continued to walk towards the car. He slowly got into the driver's seat and drove off into the night. The only sound in the car was the ringing of a cell phone.

TBC

Raven524: Bonus Chapter…just had to keep going for tonight…but I know you all won't mind. Thanks again to all the wonderful reviews…I loved them all.


	7. Chapter 7 The Long Drop

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun!

**Broken**

**Chapter 7 – The Long Drop**

_Nick was down on the ground, with Dean on top of him. He tried to block the savage blows, but soon the world went dark and Nick lay on the ground bleeding. Dean calmly got up and continued to walk towards the car. He slowly got into the driver's seat and drove off into the night. The only sound in the car was the ringing of a cell phone._

Sam gripped the steering wheel as he pushed harder on the accelerator. He had been driving for over 5 hours and he was past exhausted. Missouri had fallen asleep shortly after they had left. He knew that she was angry because he had refused to call his father. The truth was, he was afraid to see his father right now. Just the few moments that he had spoken to him before, the fear and shame were overpowering. He couldn't risk having a flash back…not until he had found Dean.

Suddenly the quiet in the car was broken by the shrill ringing of Sam's cell phone. Grabbing his phone, Sam prayed that his brother would be on the other end. "Dean!"

"I'm sorry Sam…I tried to stop it, but the bastard was too strong. He moved so quickly…"

"Nick? Tell me exactly what happened." Sam listened as Nick recounted their encounter with Aaron's spirit.

"I came to in the back of the bar just about an hour ago Sam, I tried to find Dean…but all I could find was his car. There was no sign of him…it was almost like he disappeared from the face of the earth."

Sam could hear the frustration in Nick's voice. "Don't worry Nick; I'm almost there…where are you?"

Nick gave Sam directions to the hotel. He had returned, hoping he could find a clue to Dean's whereabouts in the material they had found. "I'm heading over to county records right now…with luck I can be in an out before they open." Nick said quietly, he knew that he had failed Sam and Dean.

"Fine, I'll meet you at the hotel. Nick, it wasn't your fault. You did everything you could to stop it. Sometimes things just happen. I should be there in about an hour." Sam hung up the phone. He heard Missouri moving in the seat beside him.

"Now are you ready to call your Daddy Sam?" Missouri groaned as her old bones protested the cramped conditions she had been forced to sleep in.

"Missouri…what can he do? I don't even know where he is…by the time he got here, this could be over."

"Boy, stop it! I know that you think for some reason you have failed your father because you couldn't stand the torture that demon did to you. I saw what he did Sam…no one, and I mean no one could have withstood what you did. You did what you had to to survive…had you not, then your father and brother would have been disappointed in you." Missouri shook her head at the stubbornness of this family.

"Look Missouri…what if I…you know…lose it in front of Dad? It's bad enough that Dean and you know…I need some time Missouri." Sam hated the pleading note that had crept into his voice.

"Samuel Winchester, that is precisely why you need to get your father on the way over here. You haven't thought this through boy. What if Joshua and Dean are both hurt…how are you and Nick going to help them and take care of the spirit? 'Cause these old bones are not going to do you no good. If you don't want to talk to him, then at least let me call him."

Sam shook his head, Missouri was right. They would probably need the extra help on this one. The thought of Dean being injured was enough for him to relent. "Ok, you can call him." Sam said quietly, once again feeling like he was out of control. He was giving in yet again.

Missouri sighed as she watched the dejected slump of the boy's shoulders. She could feel his distress, but right now she had to get him some help. She used Sam's cell phone to place the call, tapping her fingers as she waited impatiently for John to answer. A moment later she heard John's voice on the other end of the phone.

"Sam…what's wrong?" John's voice said full of concern.

"It's Missouri John, Sam is driving and needs to concentrate…you know he has my poor old Betsy doing over 90 miles an hour and on a country road…we can't afford to have him distracted. I don't want my Betsy injured because you two decide to have an argument."

"Missouri, what are you babbling about?"

"Watch your tone John or you'll regret it."

John took a deep breath. Sometimes dealing with Missouri was more painful than getting rid of a poltergeist. "Missouri, what happened?"

Missouri quickly filled John in on what had happened. "So, you need to get you rear end in gear…your boys need you here like yesterday."

Missouri heard a pause and smiled when she heard John reply. "Actually, I'm only about 2 hours away from Warrenville. I started almost as soon as I hung up with Dean, but then you knew that didn't you?" John could almost see the sly smile on the woman's face.

"Missouri, let me talk to Sam for a moment…I promise, I won't get him mad…we wouldn't want Betsy to get injured."

Missouri handed the phone to Sam. She noticed the slight tremble to his hand as he put the phone to his ear. She just hoped that Sam could hold it together for a while longer.

"Hey Dad." Sam said quietly

"I won't ask why you are on the road; I'd do the same thing if I were you. But I don't want you to do anything until I get there. I should be there in about 2 hours. Sam did you hear me?" John could hear a slight hitch in his son's breathing and heard Missouri in the background trying to sooth his son. "Sammy, it's ok son…we'll deal with this later. Right now I need you to focus…you need to help me find Dean. Can you do that?"

"Yes Sir" Sam replied in a choked voice. The voice of the demon almost drowning out his father's. _"You're useless, your father and brother don't need you Sam, just give in."_

John heard a gasp and the sound of squealing tires…then the line went dead. "SAMMY!" John yelled, but the only reply he received was static.

**ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Dean groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. He was lying in the bottom of what appeared to be a deep well. He could see the sky, but it looked like it was more than 15 feet to the top. A sudden pain in his arm and shoulder made him moan. He realized that he was lying on his arm and that his arm normally didn't bend that way.

Dean rolled and grimaced at the bone that was sticking out of his forearm. "Just great!" Dean said out loud. He reached into his pocket with his good hand and pulled out his flashlight. As he played the light around the bottom of the well, he noticed the large number of skulls and bones that littered the ground around him. Suddenly he heard a soft groan at the far end of the well. Shining the light, he gasped as he saw the form of their friend laying face down on the ground.

"Joshua…hey, man…are you ok?" Dean crawled over and slowly turned his friend over. He heard Joshua gasp and immediately began to check the man for injuries. As Dean moved his hand down Joshua's chest, he felt Joshua grab his wrist. "Don't bother…I think the bastard cracked a couple of them."

Joshua shook his head, wondering if he was dreaming. "Dean? What the hell are you doing here?"

"Would you believe I came here to rescue your ass?" Dean helped Joshua sit up against the wall.

"Looks like we're doing about as good as usual huh?" Joshua noticed Dean's arm and realized that they needed do something to keep it from getting infected.

"Yeah…but Nick isn't here which means, we have a guy on the outside." Dean sat beside Joshua, cradling his broken arm against his chest.

"Who's Nick and where is Sam?" Joshua asked.

"Sam is resting up at Missouri's…he was injured on our last hunt. Nick is a hunter that we met last Halloween. He's pretty good at helping spirits move on…he's got abilities similar to Sam."

"Sorry to hear about Sam, but is this Nick any good?"

"Well he helped Sam and out more than once. He'll get us help Joshua…don't worry."

"I hope he does it soon. I don't look forward to another conversation with our host. If he follows pattern, he'll show up here just after dark. I'm guessing he decided that I wasn't his Daddy so he went after you Dean."

"Actually, I kinda got in the way of his intended victim. Any idea on how you got here?" Dean asked, trying to remember.

"Naw, last thing I remember was leaving the bar…then I woke up here with a busted up ankle"

Dean stood and examined the walls of the well. A plan was forming in his mind, but with both of them being injured, it would be difficult. "Joshua, do you think that you could stand long enough with me on your shoulders? I might be able to climb the last couple of feet out of here."

"Dean, you have a broken arm…how are you going to climb?" Joshua stood and looked up considering the young man's plan.

"The hole narrows near the top; maybe I can wedge by back against the side and use my legs. It's either that or wait for Aaron to show up. But I'm thinking we need to figure out a way to get out of here before that happens." Dean pulled his belt off and began making a sling to hold his broken arm.

"Ok, Dean…you're right, I certainly don't want to have another meeting with Aaron…the last meeting left me with broken ribs."

It took some doing, but Dean finally found himself balancing on Joshua's shoulders. He could hear the grunts of pain coming from the man under him and knew that Joshua wouldn't be able to hold him much longer. Dean reached up and grabbed a root that was hanging down to steady them. "Ok Joshua, as soon as I pull my legs up, get out of the way…just in case."

Dean hung from the root and swung his legs up, using his back and legs to keep him wedged in the hole. Dean was only about 6 feet from the top of the hole, but it felt like a mile as he slowly made his way up the sides of the well. "You're doing great Dean; just move slowly…you're almost there!" Joshua called from below. But Dean didn't answer as he continued to pull himself up. He reached up and grabbed hold of the edge of the hole, his hands searching to find something to grab on to.

Holding onto the edge of the hole, Dean tried to turn his body so that he could dig his toes into the soft earth. The pain in his arm was excruciating as it rubbed against the side of the well, but he refused to give in to the pain. Pulling himself up, his head finally cleared the hole. Dean reached for another hand hold to pull himself out, smiling grimly as he realized that he was almost out.

Suddenly his hand slipped. Dean tried to grab with his bad arm and screamed as the pain knifed through him. Before he could stop, he felt himself falling through space. There was a brief moment of pain and then nothing as he fell unconscious.

TBC

Raven524: When are our boys going to learn to never split up…all they do is get into trouble! Will Sam and John be able to find Dean and Joshua in time…or will they be Aaron's next victim. Thanks to all of you who are reading this story…and to my reviewers…a special virtual cookie to each of you for being so supportive!


	8. Chapter 8 Crash & Burn

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun!

**Broken**

**Chapter 8 – Crash and Burn**

_Suddenly his hand slipped. Dean tried to grab with his bad arm and screamed as the pain knifed through him. Before he could stop, he felt himself falling through space. There was a brief moment of pain and then nothing as he fell unconscious._

John closed the cell phone and pushed down on the accelerator. He had to get to his sons. Both of them were in trouble and he knew that it was his fault once again. He should have just gone after Joshua himself. He knew that Dean was worried about Sam and he also knew that Sam had no business being on this hunt. He could still hear the sounds of what sounded like a crash in his mind as he barreled down the highway. He had to get there before it was too late.

**ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Missouri shook her head as she touched the bruise on her forehead. "Sam?" She said as she tried to focus. She looked out and saw that the car was in a ditch. Realizing that Sam hadn't made a sound since the impact, Missouri was worried. She could see blood on the side window, probably from where Sam's head hit it during the collision. "Hold on Sam."

The sun was just beginning to rise; she must have been unconscious for some time. Missouri looked out the window and realized that she wasn't going to be getting out of the car on her side. The door was wedged against the side of the ditch.

As she looked around, she noticed Sam's cell phone on the floor near her feet. Groaning at the bruises in her body, she slowly reached down and grabbed it. She pressed John's number and waited. Sure enough John answered on the first ring. "SAM!"

"You don't need to yell sugar…we ain't dead. But Sam is unconscious and I'm kinda stuck in the car." Missouri heard a sharp intake of breath on the other end.

"Do you know where you are Missouri?" John asked quickly.

"I'm a psychic John…not a map reader. But we were heading into Warrenville and Sam mentioned that we were only about 20 minutes out."

"Ok Missouri, I'm on the same road and I'm almost there. Just hold tight. I should be there within the next 10 or 15 minutes. How's Sam?" John couldn't keep the worry from his voice.

"I'm not sure John; I can see him breathing though so he's alive. I think he hit his head, there's blood on the window. Just hurry John." Missouri said quietly, unable to hide the worry in her tone as she hung up the phone.

Missouri wasn't just worried about the head injury but she was also concerned that Sam had another flashback right before the crash. She needed to see what had happened. She had just started to scan Sam before he had the last vision…but now, she could not only see what happened, but also make sure that Sam was ok. "Ok, Sam…I think it's time that you and I had a little chat inside that head of yours."

Missouri closed her eyes and concentrated. She sensed that Sam though unconscious, didn't seem to be in any immediate danger, his consciousness was just beneath the surface. In fact, she wouldn't be surprised if he came to very shortly. "Ok Sam, let's see what really happened at the orphanage. Missouri pressed deeper into Sam's mind, seeking the memories of what he had endured at the hand of the demon."

A few minutes later, Missouri blinked as tears fell from her eyes. "Oh Sam, how could you think you are weak? If your brother and father only knew what you had endured, they'd be proud of you. You never gave in really; you just did what you had to do to survive." Missouri patted Sam's arm gently. "Don't you worry; now that I know what he did to you we can work on fixing this."

Missouri shook her head. She had never seen the type of cruelty that Sam had endured. The monster had shaken Sam's self confidence and replaced it with a sense of shame. She now understood why Sam reacted to strong commands so badly; he had been forced to do things through the use of commands combined with pain. She would need to talk to both Dean and John, especially John. Now she understood why Sam was afraid to be with his father…just the tone of his father's voice was enough to bring back the memories and the shame that he was made to feel.

Missouri smiled as she heard the familiar rumble of John's truck. "Ok Sam, help is here. We'll have you out of here soon."

John sucked in a quick breath as he saw the damaged vehicle lying on its side in the ditch. He jumped from the truck and quickly headed towards the car. His concern grew at the sight of blood on the cracked driver's side window. "Missouri are you all right?" John asked as he saw the black woman wedged up against the other door. Sam seemed to be held in place by the steering wheel he was now draped over.

"I will be once you get me out of here John. Now git a move on man, it's cramped in here."

John shook his head as he carefully opened the driver side door. He reached in and gently pulled Sam from the car, being careful of his neck and back. The gash on Sam's temple seemed to have stopped bleeding and Sam's breathing seemed to be fine. "Don't worry son, we'll have you to the hospital in no time."

John went back over and reached in to help Missouri out of the car. It took a few more minutes as Missouri had to wiggle past the steering wheel to get free. But soon she joined John beside Sam. "We need to get him to the hospital…you should probably be looked at too Missy." John said as he noticed the large bruise on her forehead.

"John, listen to me. Neither one of us needs a hospital right now. We need to get to the hotel where Sam can rest. We can take care of him there." Missouri watched as John prepared to argue with her. "Believe me John, the last place that will be good for your son is the hospital. I don't think he could handle it right now."

"What aren't you telling me Missouri? What happened to Sam?" John hated it when she kept secrets from him.

"I can't tell you John, only Sam can do that. But that demon did a good job of messing with his head…he thinks that he has failed you and Dean. The demon has made him feel ashamed of who he is. I know that this will be hard for you John, but you have to trust me. Right now Sam needs to know that you aren't ashamed of him for any reason…you need to try to tone down your natural instinct to order him around for a bit….Dean and I have noticed that strong commands or raised voices cause him to have flashbacks."

John shook his head, but he trusted Missouri and knew that she would never do anything to put Sam in jeopardy. "Ok Missouri, any idea where the boys were staying?"

"Ah…no, not exactly, but you can use Sam's phone to find Nick's number. He can give you directions."

A short time later, John and Missouri were outside the room that Nick and Dean had rented. John was carrying Sam across his shoulders, concerned that his son still hadn't shown signs of consciousness yet even though he had moaned a number of times and even cried out once while they were on their way to the hotel.

Nick quickly opened the door and let them in. He watched as John carefully placed Sam on the bed that Dean normally used. "Nick, can you watch him for a moment while I go and get our bags? I also want to see if the room next door is available for Missouri. Missouri, you need to rest on the other bed until I can get things arranged and don't argue with me woman. I can tell you're about ready to fall over." John didn't wait but quickly left the room to do what he needed. He had to get back and tend to Sam.

Nick grinned as Missouri sighed and sat on the other bed. "I can see that John took our little heart to heart chat seriously. I swear that man can't go five seconds without giving an order!"

"He seems kind of tough…I certainly wouldn't want to cross him." Nick said as he moved towards the bathroom. He grabbed a washcloth from the sink and wet it. Sitting next to Sam on the bed, he gently began to wash the blood from his face. "Well the cut doesn't look to bad Missouri…I wonder why he hasn't come to yet?"

As if on cue, Sam began to moan and toss his head from side to side; his face was a mask of pain. Missouri rose and moved beside Sam. "It's ok Sam; you need to wake up now…" Missouri almost fell off the bed when Sam suddenly sat up straight in the bed gasping.

"Oh God, he fell…Dean…we have to get to him before tonight…If we don't hurry he and Joshua will be killed…Aaron is going to kill them!"

TBC

Raven524: Sorry for the delay, but it seems that I can't seem to get out of work until later in the evenings these days. So, Sam has to face his father without Dean…I wonder if Missouri can play the peace maker as well as Dean can? (hmmmm) Guess we'll just have to wait and see!


	9. Chapter 9 Locating Dean

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun!

**Broken**

**Chapter 9 – Locating Dean**

"_Oh God, he fell…Dean…we have to get to him before tonight…If we don't hurry he and Joshua will be killed…Aaron is going to kill them!"_

Dean came to slowly; he felt something soft under his head and wondered if maybe he had been dreaming everything. If he opened his eyes, maybe he'd be back at the hotel. But the pain that rammed into him as he came to told him that he hadn't been dreaming. "Shit!" Dean gasped as he tried to sit up.

"Take it easy Dean…you took another nasty fall." Joshua tried to calm the young man down. He could feel the heat radiating off Dean. "You're running a nasty fever Dean…I think that your arm might be getting infected."

"Well if we don't find a way out of here soon, a fever will be the least of my problems!" Dean growled, frustrated that he had been so close to getting them out of here. Just a few more inches.

"I'm sure your friend Nick has contacted Sam by now and if I know your brother, he's probably already figured out where you are and is on the way." Joshua shifted so that he and Dean were sitting shoulder to shoulder against the wall. He didn't like the shiver he saw running through Dean's body or the dullness in his eyes as he turned the light on him.

Dean pushed the flashlight away. "I'm fine Joshua…but I don't think Sam will be coming…You don't know what he went through. I never should have left him. That demon really messed with his head Joshua…Sam gets these flashbacks. I'm afraid if I'm not there, he won't be able to find his way back. This is just so messed up!" Dean shook his head; he wondered how Sam was doing.

"Well if I know your brother Dean, he'd have to be dead not to try to help you. I got a feeling though that if we aren't found before Aaron gets here tonight…we won't be found at all."

**ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Sam put his hand to his head as he gasped for air. The pain was threatening to split his skull wide open. It hurt to even open his eyes. "Dean…I have to get to Dean." Sam tried to push himself off the bed, but felt someone gently pushing him back.

"Sam, you're in no shape right now to go anywhere. You had an accident and are probably concussed." Nick moved to sit next to Sam on one side of the bed, while Missouri sat on the other. Both of them were preventing Sam from getting up.

Suddenly Sam stilled as he saw his father walk into the room. Sam swallowed a couple of times, as he felt the fear begin to swell. He had forgotten that his father was coming. If he found out how badly Sam had failed, he'd never forgive him. Sam quickly looked away, unable to meet his father's gaze.

John saw the terrified look in Sam's eyes just before he turned away. He sighed as he saw the look of sympathy on Missouri's face as she looked at him. "Hey Sammy, glad to see you're awake. How's your head son?" John kept his voice calm as he moved towards Sam's side. Nick moved aside and Missouri stood to give John some room.

"I'm fine Dad…Dad; we have to find Dean…" Sam started to tell his father about his vision but stopped as John spoke.

"We'll find him Sam, but first you need to get some rest. You had a pretty good knock on the head. Can I look at it?" John could see his son trying to control the trembling of his hands. But he decided to ignore it.

Sam nodded his head as he closed his eyes, suddenly too tired to care about anything anymore. His father would find Dean, they didn't need him. _"That's right Sam, your brother and father don't need you anymore"_ the demons voice taunted once more.

John quickly used the first aid kit to take care of the wound on Sam's head. He looked at Sam's eyes and smiled. "Good thing we Winchesters have a hard head…it takes more than a little car crash to keep us down right Sammy?"

"Yes Sir" Sam replied quietly.

John looked up at Missouri. He was at a complete loss as to how to handle Sam. His stubborn son, who took on demons and other monsters without batting an eyelash, now looked like a whipped puppy. "John can you show me to my room. I'm sure that Nick can watch Sam for a moment. I'm kinda tired and need to get some rest."

"Sure Missouri…I was able to get the room right next door. Let me help you." John rose and quickly moved out the door.

Missouri turned and looked at Sam. "Sam, remember that demons lie. Your father and brother love you and would never leave you no matter what. You need to give him a chance Sam…for Dean's sake."

Sam looked up at Missouri, the tears in his eyes almost painful to see. "I know Missouri; I just can't seem to stop shaking. What is wrong with me?"

"You've had a traumatic experience that would have most normal people locked up in a padded room Sam…you need to give yourself time. And you need to trust those who love you to understand, let them help you." Missouri winked as she followed John out the door.

John turned to Missouri, the pain in his eyes mirroring the pain in his sons. Missouri placed a hand on John's shoulders. "John, I can't tell you everything that happened. But Sam is having trouble eating and dealing with any type of command or anger. The demon tortured Sam something awful. I don't know how anyone could walk away from that and still be sane."

"I just want to help him Missouri…but I also need to look for Dean. Sam is obviously in no shape to help…"

"Now that's where you are wrong John Winchester. That boy of yours managed to get himself here, even after he had one of his visions. He's a lot tougher than either you or Dean realize. My advice would be to let him help you. Be there to support him, but let him be a part of the search. You and Dean have to stop side lining him or he'll believe that what that demon told him is true."

"What did the demon tell him Missouri?" John watched the indecision on the woman's face. "Look, I need to know what I'm dealing with here; you can't expect me to help if I don't understand. Now spill it woman." John growled his frustration evident.

"Fine, the demon told Sam that you and Dean didn't need him, he was useless to both of you and that you and Dean would leave him alone. Now go back there and start finding Dean…I don't think that boy has much more time." Missouri walked into her room and closed the door.

John shook his head. Sometimes that woman could drive him mad…but he trusted her judgment; turning around John entered the room and took a good look at his son. Sam was much thinner than he remembered. He could see the bandages on his hands and peaking out from under his shirt. He could only imagine the injuries. But it was the lost look in Sam's eyes that hurt him the worst. "Ok Sam, you need to tell me what you saw in your vision…maybe we can use that to find your brother. Also, you need to bring me up to speed on what we are dealing with here."

Sam cleared his throat, ignoring the panic that he felt and began to tell his father and Nick what he had seen. "Joshua and Dean are together Dad, it looks like they are in a hole or a well of some kind, it's dark and damp. I saw Dean falling…Dad; he looks like he's in bad shape."

John sat beside Sam and placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Don't worry Sam; we are going to find both of them. Did you see anything else?"

Sam licked his dry lips before continuing. "I saw Aaron…he accused them both of disowning him. He got angry and pinned them both to the wall. I saw him strangle them Dad…Dean…Dean died in my vision Dad…we have to get to him!" Sam struggled trying to sit up, wincing as the pain in his head increased along with the vertigo.

"Sam, take it easy. We need to check a few things first. I'm going to need you sharp if you're going to watch my back tonight. It's going to take all of us to pull this off…do you think you can handle it?" John watched as the hopelessness he had seen in his son's eyes was replaced with a new determination.

"Yes Dad…I can do it. What do you want me to do?" Sam couldn't explain it, but his father's words had cleared away some of the doubt that had been plaguing him. Maybe the demon was lying…maybe his father and Dean really did need him.

"Right now I want you to rest. Nick, you said you found out some more information on Aaron. Can you tell us what you found out?" John watched as Sam closed his eyes. He knew his son was still listening, but at least he was resting.

Nick sat at the desk in the room and pulled out his note pad. "I managed to check at county records this morning and then did some more research on the internet before you got here. I found a birth certificate for Aaron that listed only his mother's name. His father's name was listed as unknown. Which would fit with what Dean and I found out so far. I guess his mother would meet with his father at the bar around the same time each year. This could be why the ghost is targeting drifters or loners at the bar. He's evidently trying to find his father. From what I could find, his grandfather left everything to his mother with the stipulation that none of his wealth was to be given to Aaron. Apparently, his grandfather disowned Aaron. I also found a police report dating back to when Aaron must have been about 24 years old. Apparently there had been a rash of disappearances. The police suspected Aaron, but could never prove anything. Then it looks like Aaron was sent away somewhere until after his grandfather died. His mother brought him back home, but the disappearances began again shortly after his return. Always from the same bar around the same time of year…during the Harvest Moon cycle. But here's the strange part…a few years before his mother's death, Aaron mysteriously disappeared at the end of the Harvest Moon cycle. His mother was so upset, that she was never the same again."

"So we have a pissed off ghost that thinks Joshua and Dean might be his father. And what's worse is we have no idea where his body is, so salting and burning is out of the question." John sighed as he ran his hand through his hair.

"Dad, Nick might be able to help…he has abilities. He can talk to spirits and show them the way to cross over." Sam said quietly.

John looked at Nick. "Do you think you can talk this spirit into leaving?"

Nick nodded. "I've dealt with a few nasty spirits in the past who didn't want to go voluntarily. There are some banishing spells that will force them to go once I open the doorway for them. It's hard and can be messy…the last time I did it; I ended up in the hospital with three broken ribs."

"What if we kept it busy while you did your thing?" John asked, formulating a plan as they talked.

"It would help, especially if he doesn't want to cross over." Nick said.

"Fine, then the first thing we need to do is try to figure out where the spirit is holding Joshua and Dean. Sam is there anything else you can remember from your visions that might help us?"

Sam closed his eyes and tried to remember the details from both visions. Suddenly, his eyes opened. "Dad, I saw Dean disappear. He was walking from his car, he went through a field. But just before he disappeared I thought I saw what looked like an old foundation for a building. I think he fell into a well Dad."

John patted Sam on the leg. "Good job Sammy…Nick do we have any maps of the area?"

"Sure I do…but I think I can do you one better. I'm betting that the foundation belongs to the old homestead. The building was destroyed to keep teenagers from visiting it…the local legend says it was haunted. What if Aaron's spirit wasn't tied to the house, but was tied to the land itself?"

"So, you think that the well was from the old homestead?" John guessed.

"Yes, and it would certainly make a good place to hide the bodies of the missing men. Especially if it was not in use anymore." Nick pulled out the map and made a mark where Dean's car had been found. He then marked where the homestead had been located.

John walked over to look at the map. He heard Sam moving and simply reached out a hand to steady his son as he moved closer to look at the map as well. "Dad usually wells were located near the house…that means that it must be close to here. We need to get Dean out of there before it's dark. We can go back later and take care of the ghost once Dean is safe."

John nodded. "Sounds like a good plan Sam. Nick how far is it to this homestead?"

"About 20 minutes from here. If we move it, we can probably get them out in plenty of time. Assuming we can find the well of course."

"We'll find it." John said

TBC

Raven524: Well rescue is on the way for Joshua and Dean…but can Sam hold it together long enough to get the job done? Once again thanks for the great reviews. Hopefully the alerts will be working again soon.


	10. Chapter 10 The Rescue

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun!

**Broken**

**Chapter 10 – The Rescue**

Sam was driving the Impala with Nick beside him. He was following his father's truck to the location on the map where they hoped they would find Dean and Joshua. It was just noon, but Sam still felt like they were running out of time.

"Don't worry Sam. I'm sure we can get him out before Aaron returns." Nick said quietly.

"Lets hope so, but you know as well as I do that not all spirits follow the rules. Aaron may be able to appear during the day just as easily as at night." Sam replied.

"I don't think so Sam. Otherwise, there would have been talk about sightings during the day when the homestead was still standing. Everything is taking place at night."

"I guess we'll find out soon, Dad is stopping up ahead." Sam pulled the Impala behind his father's truck. He quickly grabbed his back pack and went to stand beside his father. "Stay close to me Sam and Nick. With luck we should find them soon and be out of here before nightfall."

John led the way across the field towards the location of the old homestead. Sam had their EMF reader out and was scanning as they moved. So far so good he thought as the EMF meter wasn't registering any paranormal activity. It didn't take long before they were standing at what had been the old homestead. Sam stood and looked around, trying to remember what he saw in his vision. "Dad, I think it's over this way." Sam said as he started to move towards the left of the foundation. He walked carefully, making sure that there were no hidden holes or wooden planks.

After a few minutes, Sam dropped to his knees and peered over the edge of a hole that was hidden from view by some scrub brush. He would have missed it if he hadn't been looking for it. "Dad, over here!" Sam pulled the scrub brush away and revealed the large hole beyond. Looking closely at the edges, Sam could see signs of footprints…they looked recent.

"Dean, Joshua…can you hear me?" Sam called down as he reached for his flashlight.

Down below Joshua woke as he heard a voice calling his name. Looking up he saw a flashlight from above. "Here…we are down here!" Joshua called, amazed at how weak his voice sounded.

Joshua turned to Dean and nudged him, but there was no response. "Dean…wake up. Your brother is here!" But Dean didn't wake; he only moaned and shivered, pulling away from Joshua.

"Are you two ok?" Sam called anxiously, wondering why he hadn't heard anything from Dean.

"Sam, Dean is hurt pretty bad. I can't wake him up." Joshua called, worried about the lack of response from Dean.

Sam felt his father's hand on his shoulder. "Joshua, this is John. I'm going to lower Nick down to help you. Then I'll pull you both up ok?"

"Just hurry John; I don't like the way Dean looks." Joshua called up weakly.

Sam stood back and looked at his father. He knew that he couldn't help pull them up because of the wounds on his hands. "Dad, you need to lower me down, I can't help pull them up with my hands." Sam said quietly

John looked at Sam. "No way Sam…I can pull them up. Why don't you go get the Truck and drive it in closer? It should make it over the field. That way we won't have to carry them as far."

"But Dad…" Sam started.

"Sam, we don't have time for this damn it. You need to do as I say. Are you ready Nick?" John asked getting ready to lower the young man down into the hole.

John saw Sam standing off to the side, a distant look on his face, his hands trembling. "Sam? Are you ok Son?" John took a step towards his son and watched as Sam backed away in terror.

"NO! Stay away from me!" Sam cried as he started to back away.

Nick recognized what was going on and stepped in front of John. He held his hand out and spoke calmly to Sam. "Hey Sam, it's Nick. We need to get to Dean…can you help us?"

Sam blinked, tears running down his cheeks as he looked towards the hole and back at Nick. He shook his head. "Yes, we have to help Dean…what do you want me to do?" Sam drove the nightmare back from his mind. He was in a field, not the orphanage.

John was shaken by what had happened. He moved slowly towards Sam and placed an arm around his son. He could feel the tremors and heard the short breaths as Sam fought for control. "That's it Sam…you can do this. You're stronger than that damn demon. We need you to get the truck for Dean…can you do that?"

Sam looked at his father, his shame at what had happened clear in his eyes as he quickly looked away. "Yes Sir…give me the keys." John handed Sam the keys and watched as Sam slowly walked back towards the truck.

John looked at Nick and shook his head. "What the hell did that bastard do to my son?"

"We don't know for sure, but it was pretty bad. Actually, Sam is doing better. The last time, it took Dean to talk him down…he is the strongest man I've ever met. You should be proud of him." Nick said quietly as he watched Sam's dejected form walking towards the truck. He knew that John was making a mistake in not letting Sam help, but it wasn't his place to say anything.

"Ok, are you ready Nick?" John was back to business. He'd deal with Sam later, for now he had to get Joshua and Dean out before the spirit decided to make an appearance.

A few moments later Nick found himself in the bottom of the well. He used his flashlight to look around and grimaced at what he saw. There were bones and skulls littered all around the bottom of the well. "Well it looks like we found out what happened to all the missing men." Nick said to John. "There's all kinds of skeletons down here…it's a regular bone yard."

Nick moved the light over towards the wall and saw two shapes. "Joshua? Dean?" Nick said quietly.

"You must be Nick. I'm Joshua. You don't know how glad I am to see you kid." Joshua said weakly.

Nick moved closer and realized that neither man was in great shape. "Ok Joshua, how about I hook you up first. I think I better try to figure out a way to immobilize Dean's arm before we pull him up."

It took about 20 minutes to get Joshua into the harness and for John to pull him up. Nick removed his undershirt and tore it into strips. He used the strips to secure Dean's arm to his body. It would have to do until they got him to the hospital. Dean groaned, but he never woke as Nick worked on getting the harness on him. "Ok John, pull him up…easy!" Nick watched as Dean disappeared above him.

Sam sat in his father's truck and watched as first Joshua then Dean and finally Nick were hauled to the surface. He wanted to run to Dean, to see for himself that his brother was alive. But he couldn't find the will to do it. _"See, your father and brother didn't need you. You're useless Sam, and soon they'll leave you. They won't have a choice."_ The demon's words hissed in his ear.

Sam shook his head. "I won't listen…have to be strong for Dean."

John sat back exhausted from hauling up the three men. He looked over to his truck and was surprised to see Sam still sitting in the truck. _"What was wrong with the boy? Couldn't he see that he wasn't in any shape to be down a hole and helping his brother? What if he went catatonic down there?"_ John thought to himself.

Suddenly Sam moved from the truck and headed straight towards Dean. He ignored his father and Nick and knelt beside his brother. He pulled Dean into his arms and sat there murmuring into Dean's ear. "Dean…I'm here. You have to be ok Dean…please I need you." Sam said over and over.

"Nick, help Sam get these Dean into the cab of the truck. You and Sam can ride in the bed to the Impala and then follow me in to the hospital" John ordered as he reached over to help Joshua to his feet.

It wasn't long before they were all back at the Impala. Sam climbed out of the truck and headed towards the Impala. He pulled the keys from his pocket and handed them to Nick. "You drive Nick, I'm…I'm tired." Sam said as he got into the passenger side of the car.

Nick looked at John who shook his head. He knew now that he had benched Sam and realized that Sam was taking it the wrong way. But he had to get Dean and Joshua to the hospital. He'd deal with Sam after he knew that Dean was ok. "See you both at the hospital!" John called as he got into the truck and drove quickly away.

Nick glanced at Sam as they drove. "You know Sam, Dean is going to be fine. He's going to have a cast and probably has a slight concussion. But I don't think his wounds are life threatening."

Sam sighed. "Thank God, at least we got to him in time."

"Thanks to you Sam…if you hadn't told us where to look, it could be a whole other story."

"Yeah, good for me. But what happens next time? I froze out there Nick. Dad was right, I shouldn't be hunting." Sam looked out the window as the depression that had been missing while they looked for Dean settled back on him like a shroud.

"Don't be so hard on yourself Sam…you did just fine from what I could see." Nick tried again, trying to keep Sam from pulling further inward.

"Would you trust me to watch your back right now Nick?" Sam asked quietly

"Yes…Sam…Yes I would." Nick replied quickly.

"Then you'd be a fool…because I wouldn't trust me." Sam laid his head back and closed his eyes, stopping any further conversation.

As they pulled up to the emergency room entrance; Sam and Nick quickly went into the waiting room to see what was happening. Sam hung back slightly, but refused to let the building intimidate him. He had to see Dean…had to know that his brother was ok.

John rose as the two men entered the waiting room. "Nick, Sam…over here. They've taken them both into triage. Hopefully we'll hear something soon." John noticed that Sam seemed agitated. He kept clasping and unclasping his hands. His eyes searching as if he expected something to leap out at him.

"Sam are you ok?" John asked quietly, trying not to frighten Sam any further.

"I can't…I can't do this…Oh God…Dean…I need Dean." Sam sank down in a chair and placed his head in his hands, fighting against the images that were threatening to over take him.

John sat down next to his son and wrapped his arm around him. He could feel Sam tense under his touch. "Sam what can I do? Do you want Nick to take you back to the hotel? I can call you as soon as we know something. I'm sure that Dean would understand Sam; you have nothing to be ashamed of. Do you hear me…nothing!"

Sam refused to look at his father. The trembling in his hands was getting worse. He knew that he had to get out of here before he fell apart in front of his father. He had to get out…"Nick…please, take me back to the hotel." Sam said as he stood and left the waiting room.

Nick looked at John. "Don't worry; I'm sure Missouri can help him until Dean gets out. You need to be here for your other son."

"You call me if Sam needs me." John said as he gave Nick his cell number. He watched as Nick quickly left to follow Sam. John sat back down and placed his head in his hands. He never was good at dealing with Sam and now…he seemed to be making one mistake after another. Dean was always the one that dealt with Sam's emotions. John had just assumed that Dean would always be there to do it. Well, he'd just have to figure it out because he certainly wasn't going to lose Sam…he refused to lose either one of his boys.

Sam sat quietly in the passenger seat of the Impala. His sense of failure was now complete. He couldn't even stay to make sure that Dean was ok. Deep down, Sam knew that Dean would understand. But Sam couldn't forgive himself. He should have been able to get past this…Dean needed him and he had failed him…again.

Nick started the car and headed back to the hotel. "It will be all right Sam…you'll see. If I know Dean, he'll be out of the hospital and yanking your chain before you know it."

But Sam couldn't hear Nick…he kept hearing the demon's voice. _"You failed him; you'll always fail them…because you belong to my father. You're too weak to be a Winchester Sam…they just tolerate you." _

Sam realized that the demon was right…he was too weak to be a Winchester and it was time he accepted it.

TBC

Raven524: I'm thinking Dean is going to be a little ticked at the way his father handled things. But to be fair to John, he is trying…he just doesn't know how to reach Sam. And of course, we still have Aaron out there…will the Winchesters be able to pull it together in time? Thanks to those who are sending reviews. If the alerts stay down much longer, it will probably take me a whole day to respond to you all…but as soon as it's working again, I will try…until then. A special hug to all of you who are reviewing!


	11. Chapter 11 Unfinished Business

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun!

**Broken**

**Chapter 11 – Unfinished Business**

_Sam realized that the demon was right…he was too weak to be a Winchester and it was time he accepted it._

Dean woke slowly, his mind was foggy but he noticed someone was in the room with him. "Sammy?" Dean whispered.

"Hey son…how are you feeling?" John said as he moved closer to Dean.

"Dad? Where…what happened?" Dean couldn't figure out why it was so hard to think.

"You're in the hospital Dean. You have an infection from the wound on your broken arm. You're going to be ok Dean. You just need to rest."

"Joshua…is he ok?" Dean struggled against the drugs in his system.

"Yeah…they are keeping him overnight for observation. He was mostly dehydrated and has a badly twisted ankle and two broken ribs. But he'll be fine." John could see that Dean was having trouble keeping his eyes open. "Dean they've given you something for the pain. You need to let your body rest. If your fever breaks, they will let you go home tomorrow."

Dean nodded as he felt himself falling asleep. But something was missing…"Dad, where's Sammy?"

John looked away for a moment before responding. "He's back at the hotel Dean. He tried to come visit you…"

"No Dad, don't let him come near here…you don't understand, that bastard had him strapped to an examination table. You didn't let him come here did you?" Dean started to reach to remove the IV. He had to get to Sam.

"Whoa there son. Sam is fine. He went back with Nick. You need to stay here and relax." John gently pushed his son back onto the bed. "You'll get to see him tomorrow. "

Dean sighed, he had a feeling that his father wasn't telling him everything. "Dad, we have to be careful, Sam keeps having these flashbacks…I'm afraid that he's going to give up. We can't let him do that Dad."

"I know son, Missouri is here too so don't worry. Sam is in good hands. Now you need to get some sleep. Nick and I have to go back to the well and finish Aaron. I just hope Nick can pull it off."

Dean smiled. "He's a good hunter Dad…he's helped Sam and me more than once. You should take Sam with you too as back up Dad."

"Dean, you just told me that your brother is unstable…how can I take him with? He froze up while we were getting you out…what if he does that while the spirit is attacking? Sam will have to stay with Missouri…Nick and I can handle this one."

Dean had a feeling that his father was making a mistake with Sam. But the drugs in his system were making it too hard to stay awake. A moment later Dean was sleeping again as John spoke softly to his son. "Don't worry Dean, you and I will figure out a way to help Sammy…but you need to get well too. I won't lose either one of you."

**ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Nick looked once again at the sleeping figure on the bed. Sam had just walked into the room and immediately collapsed onto the bed. He hadn't spoken a word. He knew that Sam had to be exhausted, but he couldn't help but feel there was something else going on.

Nick looked up from his notes as he heard a soft knock on the door. He moved to the door, pulling out the gun that Dean had given him from his waist band as he slowly cracked open the door. He smiled as he saw Missouri on the other side. "Hello Missouri, I hope you're feeling better."

"I'm just fine boy, but I see our friend over there isn't doing too well." Missouri entered the room and went to sit beside Sam. She could sense the despair that covered the boy like a cloak. "Let me guess, John wouldn't let Sam help."

"Well, to be fair, Sam sort of froze after he and John disagreed on how best to get Dean up. I'm not sure that John was entirely wrong. But I think he was more upset because he couldn't handle the hospital…I think he feels that he's failed Dean somehow." Nick shook his head.

Both heads turned as they heard a key in the door. Nick motioned for Missouri to stay where she was while once again he took up a position behind the door, the gun in his hand ready to protect Missouri and Sam if need be. The door opened slowly as John entered. He only saw Missouri and Sam in the room. "Missouri…where is Nick?"

"Right here John." Nick said as he stepped from behind the door, quickly placing the gun back in his waist band.

John nodded in approval. "Looks like Dean was right, you can handle yourself just fine."

Nick grinned. "Thanks…I think."

Missouri stood and faced John, her hands on her hips. "What part of take it easy on Sam didn't you understand John Winchester!"

"Whoa there missy…I didn't do anything."

"You sidelined him didn't you…you didn't let him help." Missouri stood her ground as she saw the anger quickly leave John's face.

"It wasn't like that Missouri…he wanted to go down into the damn hole. I didn't have time to have a discussion…a decision needed to be made and quickly so that we could get Joshua and Dean out. Look, I'm sorry Sam was hurt. But until he can prove to me that he can hold his own…I don't want him to go on any more hunts. I can't lose him Missouri…" John sat on the other bed, looking at his son in the other bed. He looked so innocent…Sam never should have had to live this life to begin with but now, he wasn't sure that Sam would be able to continue to hunt at all.

Missouri softened her voice. "John, if you give up on him…what is to stop him from giving up on himself…if he hasn't already."

"It's ok Missouri, Dad's right. Until I can hold my own I'm just a liability. I could get whoever was with me killed." Sam said softly as he slowly sat up on the bed. The pain in his body almost matched the pain in his heart as he realized that any ground he had gained with his father over the past few months was now gone. "Missouri did you bring any of those pain pills with?"

"You don't need those pills Sam…I've got my salve with me. John, why don't you help Sam get undressed while I pop next door to get what we need. Nick could you help me?" Both left giving John and Sam time alone.

"Sam…let me explain." John began as he moved towards Sam. He was unnerved by the stillness of his son. Missouri was right, Sam thought he had given up on him and was giving up on himself.

"M'ok Dad. You can go finish up the job with Nick. I can get undressed on my own." Sam stood, but quickly sat down again as the room spun. John quickly grabbed Sam and helped him sit back down on the bed.

"Now let's get one thing straight here Sam. You are my son and I love you. You have not failed me nor am I ashamed of you…that is unless you continue to do what you are doing right now."

Sam looked up at his father, confusion reflected in his eyes. "What do you mean Dad, I couldn't even help you get Dean…I'm useless and you know it." Sam looked away again, he couldn't see the disappointment in his father's eyes.

John sighed as he helped Sam pull of his shirt and slip out of his jeans. His eyes noted the numerous wounds that covered his son's body. His breath caught in his throat. "Sammy, what the hell did that bastard do to you?"

Sam looked up, tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry Dad, I tried, but I couldn't take it any more. I gave in and did what he told me. I always give in…he was right, I'm too weak…" Sam started to shiver as his mind started to return to the memories. This time, he didn't fight…he couldn't fight it any more as he once more fell into his own living nightmare.

John watched in horror as his son curled into a ball on the bed. His heart broke as his son sobbed and begged him not to hurt him anymore. "Oh Sammy…shhh…it will be ok, you'll be ok…you have to be."

He looked up as Missouri and Nick once more entered the room. Missouri immediately moved towards Sam. "You need to talk to him John…he needs to know you're still here."

"Sammy…Sam, can you hear me. You need to focus for me."

Sam heard his father's voice calling him. He closed his mind to the demon's words and the images that were threatening to overwhelm him. He slowly blinked his eyes, trying to focus on what his father was saying.

"Sam, that's it. I'm so proud of you son, you're doing good. Let me help you get more comfortable here so that Missouri can use her salve on you. Then we'll get you something for the pain ok?"

"Dad?" Sam whispered, the shame clear on his face as he realized that once again he had broken down.

"Hey there…just relax Sam, I've got you. You don't need to worry about anything son and I want you to understand something. You don't have to face this alone…we are all going to help you fix this. Do you hear me Sam? You have nothing to be ashamed of…you beat the demon at his own game and I'm proud of you. But you can't let him have any more power over you. You're stronger than he is and I know that you can beat this." John watched as Sam began to relax, his eyes searching to find his father's eyes.

John looked into his son and let him see what he normally hid from his boys. He let him see the love that was always just below the surface. For a moment, John Winchester was no longer a hunter…he was a father who would do anything to save his sons.

TBC

Raven524: Ok, it always bothered me that John would never say what Sam needed to hear from his father…so I did it. Of course, this is just the calm before the storm…will they all be able to survive? (hmmmm…maybe, maybe not…guess we'll just have to wait to see.) On a separate note, I can't believe that the alerts still aren't working…what a bummer. I am reading the reviews and wanted to thank all of you for sending them despite the site's problem…I really enjoy hearing from you guys!


	12. Chapter 12 Back to the Well

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun!

**Broken**

**Chapter 12 – Back to the Well**

Missouri quickly finished applying the salve, smiling as she patted Sam on the shoulder. "I don't think we need to bandage these anymore Sam. The wounds are healing up nicely."

"Thanks Missouri." Sam said quietly. He took the pain relievers that his father handed to him and swallowed. He had heard what his father said and realized that he was right. He had to stop letting the demon gain power over him. The demon was gone and he needed to move on.

Suddenly there was a loud knock at the door. Nick moved behind the door like he had before while John took a position in front of Sam, his own gun out and ready. Missouri frowned and then smiled as she nodded to Nick. "Open the door Nick, it's just Dean."

Nick opened the door and quickly grabbed as Dean stumbled into the doorway. "Hold on man, I've got you." Nick helped Dean over to the bed as John closed the door.

"What the hell are you doing here Dean?" John said as he noticed that Dean was weaving slightly on the bed. "Better yet, how did you get here?"

"I got bored…so I checked myself out. You've heard of cabs…wonderful thing. You pay the driver and he takes you where you want to go. You should try it sometime Dad!" Dean smirked as he saw his father shake his head.

"Dean…are you ok?" Sam asked quietly, afraid to meet his brother's eyes.

Dean saw Sam withdrawing and quickly moved to sit beside his brother. Reaching out he brushed Sam's bangs out of his face so that he could see his brother's eyes. Just as he thought, Sam was feeling guilty again. "I'm just fine Sam…but looks like you've been having a rough time." Lightly touching the new wound on Sam's head Dean asked. "How are you feeling?"

"M'fine Dean…I'm sorry…I tried to visit…but." Sam closed his eyes and swallowed as the image of the examination table popped into his head. But just as quickly he forced the image to the back of his mind. He wasn't going to let it win this time.

"Sammy…you have nothing to apologize for. From what Dad told me, you're the reason I'm still here. So what are we doing to get rid of our friend Aaron?" Dean asked as he moved to sit back on the other bed.

John looked at Nick and then at Sam and Dean. "Well now that you're here, Nick and I can head over to the well and wait for Aaron to appear."

"Sounds good, Dad. But just how are you going to get him to come out of his nice little hole? I don't think that he will want to come out and play unless you have something he wants." Dean looked at his father before continuing. "He's looking for his Daddy, so why don't we give it to him?"

"If you're suggesting what I think you are, you can forget it. You just got out of the hospital…" John growled.

"Yeah, but I don't need to do anything strenuous…I just get to sit there while you and Nick do the hard work. Sam can also help guard my back. You know it's the only sure way to get the ghost to come out and play…" Dean looked at his father daring him to disagree.

"Fine, but you're going to have your ass in a circle of salt. You let Nick and I do all the work. Sam?"

John and Dean sighed as they heard the bathroom door click. "Dad, you need to let him help on this one…"

John started to argue but realized that Dean was right. Sam would never be able to trust himself, until he saw that others trusted him. "Fine, but we leave in 15 minutes. Get your brother in the car. Nick you can ride with me." John turned to leave. He needed to get things ready.

Dean looked at Missouri and sighed. "Any suggestions?"

"Just don't give up on him Dean…he needs to know that you and your father haven't given up on him." Missouri shook here head. "Meanwhile, I think I'll go back to my room for some rest. I have a feeling I'm going to need it for later."

Dean watched as Missouri left the room. He turned his gaze towards the door. He could hear a soft thudding sound coming from the bathroom. Moving quietly, Dean tried the door and was surprised to find that the door was not locked. He opened the door slowly and gasped as he saw Sam on the floor. His brother was gripping his hair with both hands as he knocked his head against the wall. "Hey little brother…if you're trying to knock some sense into that head of yours, I gotta tell you it's a waste of time. I've been trying for years!" Dean carefully knelt down next to Sam. He still wasn't real steady on his own feet yet.

"Sammy…what's wrong?" Dean tried a more direct approach.

Sam blinked and looked at Dean, the pain in his eyes telling Dean all he needed to know. "I can't go Dean…I'll get you all killed. The pictures and his voice won't go away…no matter how hard I try, they keep coming back…I keep going back to the orphanage." Sam sobbed as he let his head drop to his knees in defeat.

"Aw Sammy…you haven't given yourself enough time yet. It will get better, I promise. But right now I need you to be there to back me up. I can't do this without you bro'…" Dean watched as Sam sighed.

"Dean what if I freeze up because Dad gives me an order…I'm a liability and you know it." Sam looked up and saw his brother smile.

"Sam, you won't freeze up, you know how I know you won't?"

"How?"

"Because if you do, I'll kick your ass from here to Tuesday…you'll be fine Sam. Do you think I would let you do something that could get you killed?" Dean watched as Sam smiled softly.

"Ok…but you have to stay in the salt circle like Dad says…"

"Since when do you listen to what Dad says Sammy?" Dean stood and would have fallen if Sam hadn't reached up to grab him.

"Since you can barely stand without someone propping you up…are you sure you're up for this Dean?" Sam was worried at the faint sheen of sweat he saw on Dean's face.

"Yes, now can we get going before Dad leaves us both behind?" Dean moved out of the bathroom, grabbing his keys as he went.

"Ah…Dean. You can't drive…your arm." Sam said as he followed Dean.

"No way am I letting you drive…you totaled that last car you drove. I heard about Missouri's car…now get in!"

Sam sighed as he got into the passenger seat. He knew it was useless to argue with Dean. He just hoped that Dean was right…he hoped he could hold up his end.

TBC

Raven524: Ok another chapter…consider it a holiday present and a special thanks to all those who are reading and reviewing this story…just a couple more chapters to go before this one is through.


	13. Chapter 13 Aaron's Father

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun!

**Broken**

**Chapter 13 – Aaron's Father**

Sam looked over at his brother as they rode towards the well. He could tell his brother was in pain and that the infection from his wound was probably still active in his system. There was a slight flush to Dean's cheek indicating that his fever was probably on the rise. But Sam knew better than to suggest they go back to the hotel.

"Stop looking at me and sighing Sammy…I'm just fine. Besides, I have a bone to pick with our friend Aaron…no one borrows my body, especially if they plan to throw it down a hole." Dean could see Sam shake his head. He was once again unusually quiet. "So what's going through that freaky mind of yours this time Sam?"

"I just think we are missing something. How do we know that Aaron will come after you? Tonight is the third night Dean…what if he goes after someone else first?" Sam looked at Dean. He had a bad feeling that they were missing something.

"So we just wait, he'll eventually show up at the well Sam."

"But if the ghost is possessing someone, how are we going to stop him. I mean Nick said you beat the crap out of him while you were doing your sleep walking routine. We can't let the spirit take another person, it's too dangerous."

Suddenly Dean knew where his brother was heading. "Let me get this straight. You want us to go back to the bar and let the ghost of Aaron possess one of us…Sam and don't take this wrong…but are you completely nuts!"

Sam sighed; he knew that he was right. "No, I'm suggesting that we make sure that Aaron can't possess someone else. If he can't find a new target, I think he'll go back to the well…I think that his spirit is bound to the well for some reason."

"Great, so how do you suggest we keep Aaron from getting his hands on one of us?" Dean knew that Sam was right. They couldn't let Aaron get his hands on someone else. But he also knew that his father wasn't going to be happy.

"Shoot him full of salt and then get the hell out of dodge…maybe if he sees you, he'll follow us back to the well." Sam shrugged.

"You know Sam, that plan has so many holes in it…" Dean started.

"So what else is new…sounds like business as usual for us doesn't it Dean?" Sam grinned.

Dean grabbed his cell phone and dialed his father's number. After he explained the new plan, he put the phone on speaker so that Sam and he could both talk to their father as he turned the car around and headed back to the bar. "I don't like it Dean. You're in no shape to be taking on this spirit by yourself." John barked

Sam cleared his throat, hiding the hurt that his father's words had caused. "Dad, this is the only way we can make sure that no one else is hurt. If I'm right, you and Nick need to figure out a way to purify the well…we need to make sure that Aaron can't go back."

"Sam, son…look I know you think you need to prove yourself…but you don't need to do this. We'll figure out a way to do this together damn it…you two head towards the well that's an order!" John yelled through the phone.

Dean looked at his brother, worried about his father's tone. But Sam just shook his head and clasped his hands tighter together. Dean was shocked when Sam actually spoke. "You know what Dad; I know I'm right this time. I know you think I'm crazy, but I'm not. My gut tells me that this is the right thing to do, so I'm going to do it. You can either work with me on this or I'll do it on my own." Sam yelled back at his father.

"Samuel Winchester, you get your ass out to the well. We don't have time for this now. It's almost 11:00. You are going to get yourself killed!" John couldn't keep the panic from his voice.

Sam heard the concern underlying the order; he hung his head for a moment realizing how easy it would be to just give in to his father's commands. _"Just give in Sam, that's it…, the pain will stop as soon as you give in."_ But this time Sam wasn't going to, he felt something that had been missing since the orphanage come back to life deep inside him.

"Your right Dad, I might. Just like you might get yourself killed following your plan of action. It's the risk we all take. You expect me to hunt and yet you don't want me to use the skills and abilities that allow me to do my job. Well, this time I'm not going to sit on the side lines while you and Dean take all the punishment. I'm going to stop Aaron from hurting anyone else and if you don't like it that's tough…It won't be the first time that you've been disappointed in me and I'm sure it won't be the last Dad." Sam finished on a quiet note. He could hear his father trying to get his temper under control. He knew that he had pushed his father's buttons, but for the first time in a while, he didn't care. Sam looked sideways at his unusually quiet brother. Dean looked back at him and winked.

"Dad, we're almost to the bar now. Sam and I are going to check things out. Don't worry; we are used to making things up as we go…that's what we do best. You and Nick worry about the well and we'll join you as soon as we can." Dean reached over and hung up the phone before his father could respond.

"Dean you realize that you just hung up on Dad _and_ you are disobeying a direct order…are you sure that fever isn't getting to you?" Sam asked as he turned to look at his brother.

"Huh…guess I did. What do you know?" Dean grinned at Sam. "Besides, if we're lucky, maybe we will have time for a quick beer. I could really use one, how about you?"

Sam laughed "And a few numbers too I'll bet…just remember this isn't a social visit Dean…we need to make sure that Aaron doesn't get his hands on another victim."

"Yes grandpa…you know you really are a buzz killer aren't you Sammy!" Dean watched as his brother grinned in the seat beside him. He wasn't fooled though, he could see Sam clenching and unclenching his hands, a sign that he wasn't back to his old self…but for the first time in the last couple of days, Dean felt like his brother was really on the mend.

**oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

John looked at the phone in his hand in disbelief. He couldn't believe it…Dean had actually hung up on him. But rather than be angry, he was actually amused and relieved. He had heard his stubborn rebel son stand up to him for the first time since he had come here. "That went well I guess!" John said to the questioning look on Nick's face. "Seems like Sam has decided that he and Dean are going to try to stop Aaron from possessing someone else before we handle him."

Nick slapped a hand on his head. "I totally forgot…he hasn't gotten his third victim yet. Sam's right! You know John, it's kind of sad..."

"What do you mean Nick?"

"The team member who is supposedly losing it…is the one who is keeping us on track here." Nick laughed at the astonished look on John's face.

"You know what…you're right." John smiled. "We are almost to the well. I figure we have about an hour to purify it and get ready. Do you think you can lower me into the well so I can salt the bones there?"

Nick looked at John and smiled. "No, but I think that you can lower me down much easier…I'm a few pounds lighter than you and I'm the one who will be banishing the spirit…just in case he decides to visit while we get ready to purify the well."

"What is it with everyone tonight…I don't recall putting any of this up for a vote." John growled.

"You need to get with the times John…we live in a democracy, not a dictatorship. I know you're used to giving orders and believe me, I'd be the first to follow…but this time, it just makes more sense. That and I figure you're a better shot than I am…" Nick looked sideways trying to decide if John was really mad or not.

"Fine, I'll lower you into the well, but you toss the salt and haul ass out of there…no visiting with your friends down there."

Nick smiled. "No problem...that's an order I intend to follow to the letter!"

**oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Sam followed Dean into the bar with a grin on his face as he heard a country western song playing on the juke box. "Wow Dean and you actually were here for more than 5 minutes before? I'm impressed!"

Dean slapped the back of Sam's head. "Cute Sam, real cute. Let's just get a quick beer…we need to be out in the parking lot a few minutes before midnight. That's where Aaron makes his move."

Sam took his usual seat in the back of the bar and waited for Dean to come back with the beer. He smiled as he saw his brother laying on the charm with a couple of cowgirls at the bar. Sam looked around at the other patrons, trying to spot the one who might be Aaron's next victim. Most people were with others, except for an old man who sat quietly a few tables away from Sam.

Sam stood and walked over to the man's table. "Excuse me…are you from around here?"

The man looked up at Sam, a sad smile on his face. "Not really, but I used to come here frequently when I was a young man…the place holds a lot of good memories for me."

Sam smiled warmly. "Really, were you here when this place was still a saloon…did you know the owners?"

"Yeah, I was here. I got to know Becky real well. She and I…well, we almost got married." The man sighed.

"So what happened?" Sam asked, his curiosity peeked at the mention of Becky's name.

"Her father and brothers happened that's what. I guess I wasn't good enough for her. Her brothers met me one night after I proposed and persuaded me with their fists that it wouldn't be a good idea for us to see each other any more. I took the hint. Besides, Becky stopped coming in to the saloon after that. I figured she was better off without me."

"So why are you here now?" Sam asked, he couldn't believe that he was most likely talking to Aaron's father.

The man sighed and looked up at Sam. "I just wanted to see the place one more time…that and I wanted to visit Becky's grave. It won't be long before I might get to see her again…maybe in the afterlife we'll finally be able to be together…it's the only thing that's kept me going all these years. My only regret in life has been that I didn't fight for her…that and I never had any children. We both had wanted children…" The man got a far away look in his eyes as he remembered.

Sam smiled sadly. "I'm sorry…"

"Hey nothing to be sorry about young man…I lived my life and basically I had a good run. When they told me I had cancer, I wasn't upset…I'm ready to move on. I've done most of what I wanted to do and now I'm tying up loose ends."

Sam saw Dean heading towards their table. He stood and shook the man's hand. "It was really nice meeting you. I hope you find what you are looking for." Sam said earnestly

Dean watched as Sam walked quickly towards him. He knew from the bounce in his brother's step that he had found out something. He took a sip of his beer and waited. Enjoying the animation on his brother's face; he was glad that he had insisted on including Sam in this hunt. He just hoped that Sam didn't get hurt.

"Dean, you're never going to guess who I just spoke to!" Sam said as he took a seat next to Dean.

"Hmmm…let me see, Jose Cuervo? No? Don't tell me I'll get it…" Dean felt Sam's foot stomp on his boot.

"You really can be an ass sometimes Dean!" Sam rolled his eyes as he tried to get his brother to be serious. "I think that man over there is Aaron's father."

"No shit! What the hell is he doing here Sam?" Dean looked closer at the old man.

"He's dying Dean…he just wanted to see Becky's grave and visit where they had met before he dies. Dean, he never knew that he had a son…he didn't disown his son!"

"That's nice Sam, but we got to get out into the parking lot…it's 5 minutes to midnight." Dean rose and quickly made for the exit, followed closely by Sam. Dean went directly to the Impala and grabbed the shot guns. Handing one to Sam, he also grabbed a canister of salt. "Just in case."

Sam grabbed Dean's arm…"Look Dean! The old man is leaving…we have to warn him!"

Before Dean could stop him, Sam was already half way across the parking lot. He heard Sam call to the old man and watched as the man turned to Sam and smiled. But before he could react, he saw the old man and Sam were both thrown up against the wall of the bar.

"Crap!" Dean yelled as he ran towards his brother. He just hoped he wasn't too late.

TBC

Raven524: Ok, I'm trying to update while getting our outdoor holiday lights up…so not sure how many updates I'll get out today. I'm glad some of you are finding the story…keep the reviews coming, I really and having a blast reading them…Thanks again to all of you who are dropping me a line!


	14. Chapter 14 Becky

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun!

**Broken Chapter 14 – Becky**

_Before Dean could stop him, Sam was already half way across the parking lot. He heard Sam call to the old man and watched as the man turned to Sam and smiled. But before he could react, he saw the old man and Sam were both thrown up against the wall of the bar._

_"Crap!" Dean yelled as he ran towards his brother. He just hoped he wasn't too late._

Dean paused long enough to take aim with the shot gun and fire. He watched as the shapeless mist screamed and disappeared. He knew from past experience that it would only be a few moments before the angry spirit would return.

Sam stood on shaky legs as he reached to help the old man to his feet. But the old man wasn't moving. Sam knelt next to the old man feeling for a pulse. "Dean, oh my God, I think he's dead!" Sam called as he gently laid the man down on the pavement. Tears were welling in his eyes as he saw the mist beginning to form once more. "Dean hurry!"

Dean saw the mist as well and quickly pulled out the salt. He made a circle large enough to hold all of them. He watched as the mist hissed as it tried to breach the circle. "You can hiss all you want, but you can't come in here. Why don't you go back to your well and drown your sorry ass!"

Dean heard the soft sob next to him and knelt down next to Sam. He placed a hand on his brother's back as he saw the blood pooling under the old man's head. "Sam, he must have hit his head too hard. It wasn't your fault…you tried to help him."

"I know Dean…it's just I hate it when we can't save them." Sam looked down at the old man and sighed. "Well, at least he won't have to suffer through the rest of his cancer."

"That's good Sam, but I think we have bigger problems here. Aaron doesn't look like he wants to leave and we are stuck here in this circle." Dean continued to hold the shot gun, one end balanced on his cast as he got ready to shoot off another round.

"Dean hold up. What is that over there?" Sam watched as another gray mist had formed slightly behind the first.

"Just great…now we have two ghosts to deal with…can this get any more screwed up!" Dean asked as he shook his head. "Well this was your plan Sam, any ideas?"

Sam watched the second ghost. It appeared to be hovering as if it wasn't sure what to do. "I don't think the other one will hurt us Dean. Look, you take your shot and head for the car. I'll follow and guard your back. Then we head for the well."

"That's your plan? Ah…Sammy, maybe we better work on your strategic planning skills…'cause I gotta tell you this one really sucks."

"I'm listening…if you have a better plan, let's hear it!" Sam watched as the first ghost continued testing the circle, looking for a way to get to the two brothers. "But unless you plan to grow old in this circle…I suggest you come up with something quick."

"Fine, but you run for the car and get it started and I'll follow guarding your back. I can't move quickly with this damn cast on my arm Sam…besides, you were the one given the freaky long legs. You take the first shot and I'll follow…ready on three!" Dean watched as Sam emptied his gun into the spirit and took off towards the car. Dean followed, glancing back as he went. Sure enough the ghost reappeared and started to head towards Sam. Dean took aim and shot off another round. He smiled as he heard the car start and reverse towards him. The passenger door popping opening as it stopped beside Dean.

"Get in Dean!" Sam yelled as he held the shot gun to cover Dean's entrance into the car.

Suddenly Sam felt a chill run down his spine as he saw the other mist enter through the windshield in front of him. He turned to unload the gun, but his fingers wouldn't work. "Dean!" Sam said as he felt a sharp pain and then nothing.

Dean had seen the mist attack Sam, but he couldn't stop it. "Damn it…let my brother go you bastard!"

Sam's eyes looked over at him and blinked. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt your brother…but I have to stop this…it's all my fault." Dean watched as Sam opened the door and walked to the rear of the car. Dean jumped out and went to grab his brother. He stopped when he saw the other ghost hovering a few feet in front of Sam.

"I have a son…I never knew. Aaron, you have to follow me son. If you want me, you need to follow me back to your home." Sam's voice wavered as his body shook. Dean watched in horror as the other mist collided with Sam and disappeared. Sam screamed and fell to the ground, holding his head.

Dean jumped towards Sam. "Damn it Sammy, what the hell are you doing?" Dean didn't like the paleness of Sam's skin or the sheen of sweat on his brother's face.

"Dean?" Sam groaned as he tried to stand. He could feel both father and son at war inside his mind…the pain was getting almost unbearable as he blinked.

"Sam…how?" Dean watched as Sam swallowed.

"No time, get me to the car Dean…we have to get to the well. Jake isn't very strong, but I think…I think…he and I can hold Aaron until you can get us to Nick…hurry Dean!" Sam stumbled towards the passenger door.

Dean helped Sam into the car and moved quickly to the other side. "I can't believe this!" Dean said as he took a look at Sam. His brother was hunched in the seat, his head in his hands as he groaned. Dean gunned the motor and headed for the well.

**oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Nick was working on getting the salt on the bones in the bottom of the well. He couldn't help but feel disgusted at the carnage. Aaron had been a busy boy. "Ok John, just give me another minute to get the lighter fluid on all of this…then you can pull me up!"

"Make it quick Nick!" John called down.

Nick spread the lighter fluid, making sure that all the bones and the surrounding earth were covered. As he started to turn to leave for the rope, he felt a slight chill. Closing his eyes he concentrated before opening his eyes again. He saw the spirit of a lovely young woman floating by the rope. "Ah…hi! I'm betting you're Becky" Nick said calmly.

"Yes, you need to get out of here quickly…my son is coming!" Becky called urgently as she floated up towards the top of the well.

"John pull me up quick…Aaron is on his way, we have to get ready!" Nick jumped and started climbing as John pulled. The whole time, he could see Becky floating just behind John.

"Ah John, I don't want to alarm you…but we aren't alone anymore." Nick said as he finished climbing out of the hole. He watched as John dropped the rope and grabbed for the shot gun hanging from his shoulder.

Nick placed a hand on the barrel and turned to talk to the spirit who was watching them. "Becky, why are you here?"

"Jake is bringing Aaron…my poor son. If I had only been stronger…I would have told him the truth. But I couldn't lose him too." Becky's eyes filled with tears.

Nick turned to John. "We need to purify the well now John. I'll start the salt circle while you do that."

John shook his head as he continued to listen to the one-sided conversation that Nick was having. He couldn't see anything but a gray mist…if he hadn't seen stranger things; he would have thought the boy was insane. "Got it!" He said as he struck a match and dropped it into the well. The flames rose as the bones caught fire. It wasn't long before the well was an inferno of flames.

Nick completed the salt circle, making it large enough to hold all four men if needed. He had a feeling that Sam and Dean would be here any moment. He paused inside the circle and listened as Becky continued to tell her story.

"My father forbid me to marry Jake, even after he found out I was carrying Jake's child. He sent my brothers to deal with Jake while he made arrangements for me to have my baby. He wanted me to place the child up for adoption…but I couldn't do it. He agreed to allow me to keep Aaron as long as I agreed to never tell Jake or have anything else to do with him. When Aaron asked about his father…I couldn't tell him that I was too weak to stand up to my father…so I told him that his father had left us."

"I'm sorry Becky; it must have been really hard for you all these years to keep that secret." Nick watched as John joined him in the circle.

"This was all my fault. Aaron went crazy when my father told him that he was a bastard and as such would never be a part of his family. As he searched for his father, we found out that he was killing men that he thought were his father. My father couldn't have the stain on the family name, so it was hushed up. He sent Aaron to an institution and wouldn't let me see him. But once my father died, I sent for Aaron…I missed him. But that was a mistake. My Aaron wasn't my little boy anymore…he had become a bitter man filled with a need for revenge. I followed him one night and saw him kill a young man…I rushed to stop him, but I couldn't. Aaron was so angry he scared me. So, I went back to the house and waited. I had my father's gun…when Aaron came home, he attacked me and I…I…shot him. I killed my own son!"

Nick could feel the anguish from the young woman. "You didn't have a choice Becky…he would have killed you. Where did you bury him Becky?"

John's ears perked up as he heard Nick mention Aaron's body. "Nick what's going on?"

Nick held up his hand and continued to listen to Becky. "I took his body to the small lake on my father's property. It was hard, but I managed to get him into the small boat and then I sent him to the bottom of the lake. I didn't know what else to do…no one knew that Aaron was back and I couldn't lose everything…of course, I had already lost everything…I just didn't understand."

"Don't worry Becky, I'm going to help you and your son move on…you've suffered enough Becky, it's time for you to rest." Nick turned to John and told him what he had learned.

"So much for burning the bones, do you think you'll be able to banish the spirit of Aaron?" John asked as he checked to make sure that the guns he had brought with were all loaded.

"Yes, if I can't convince him to go, then I can banish him. Especially now that he won't have anyplace to go…but maybe with Becky's help we can convince him to move on." Nick smiled up at Becky. A moment later he and John both turned as they heard a familiar rumble coming down the road.

"It won't be long now." Nick looked at Becky who nodded her head. "Aaron is with the boys."

TBC

Raven524: Ok, so the site is really messing up again. I couldn't log in almost all of yesterday...Thanks to Phx for hinting that notepad would work with reformatting (such a pain...but I love you guys)…so here's hoping we can get this chapter posted. Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews! Keep them coming…


	15. Chapter 15 Final Showdown

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun!

**Broken Chapter 15 – Final Showdown**

_Sam watched as Aaron and his father faced off against one another. "Aaron, you have to stop this son…if I had known about you I would have done things differently." Jake pleaded with his son._

_"I don't believe you. Why did you leave my mother? You knew about her didn't you? Did you know that my grandfather made her life a living hell? Did you know that every day of my life he reminded me that I was a bastard? He treated us like we were dirt under his feet. But did you come to help us…no!" Aaron's face was filled with rage and hatred._

_"But you have me now Aaron…it's time for you to move on. I'm sure that your mother is waiting for you…" Jake tried again._

_"Right…my mother. She was weak too. Both of you too weak to stand up for me. Did you know that she killed me? That's right. She killed me and then left me to lay at the bottom of the lake, alone once again. I wasn't even good enough to be buried!"_

_"Aaron, everyone who hurt you is now dead." Sam tried to reach the angry young man._

_Aaron turned to Sam. "I don't care…the only time I feel better is when I kill…it's all that I have left. You will be dead before the night is over and then I will wait again. By killing I can stay here, there is nothing waiting for me on the other side. Even there I'll be a bastard with no home."_

_Sam watched as Aaron launched himself at Sam. "You think you can hold me…I know that you and Daddy here have a plan to get rid of me…well no one gets rid of me…never again!"_

_Sam felt the pain as Aaron tried to get control. But Sam pushed back sending Aaron flying away from him. "You will not take control of me Aaron. I won't let you kill anyone else!" Sam felt the pain growing in his head as he continued to keep Aaron from gaining control. He could feel Aaron searching for a weakness he could exploit, but Sam continued to fight._

_Jake stood between Sam and Aaron. "Son, you have to stop this. I won't let you hurt anyone else!" Jake grabbed Aaron and began to struggle with his son. But he wasn't strong enough to hold his son. Sam rushed to help, but found himself thrown back. Aaron rose, his eyes full of hatred as he advanced once more towards Sam. "If I can't control you then I guess I'll just have to kill you!"_

_Sam screamed as Aaron began to increase the pressure causing his head to feel like it would explode. "What's this?" Aaron said as he pushed harder. "So you cave in to pain Sammy…I can feel your terror… just give in and the pain will stop."_

_Sam shuddered as Aaron's words began to force his tired mind back to the orphanage. He fought but he found himself strapped down again to the examination table. Only this time, Aaron was standing over him. "Let's see how much pain you can take Sammy…you let me know when you are ready to be a good boy and do what I want won't you…but not too quickly as this is fun!"_

Dean watched as Sam's body began to shudder and Sam let out one scream after another. "Hold on Sammy, we'll be there in another 5 minutes. You can do this Sam…I know you can."

As he pulled up to the spot on the road where his father's truck was parked, he reached for his cell phone. There was no way he could carry Sam and Sam didn't look like he was in any kind of shape to walk. "Dad…we need help…Sam's been possessed by Aaron and I can't…I can't help him!" Dean almost sobbed into the phone as he watched blood begin to flow down his brother's face from his nose.

"Hold on Dean…Nick and I will be there is a couple of minutes!" John barked into the phone.

Dean dropped the cell phone and hurried over to try to get Sam out of the car. Maybe if he could get him into his father's truck. "Ok Sam, you have to help me here. I can't carry you."

But Sam's eyes remained tightly closed; a whimper escaped his lips as he moaned. "No…not real…I'm not here…you can't have me!" Sam whispered.

Sam shuddered as Aaron approached him with a small knife. He began to make shallow incisions on Sam's naked chest. "I never realized how much fun this could be. I may never leave you Sam…he smiled as Sam screamed again.

Dean placed a calming hand on Sam's shoulder, trying to get through to his brother. Suddenly he saw a gray mist leave and then hover over Sam. Dean reached for his gun and was about to shoot when he heard Nick yell. "Dean, don't…it's Jake not Aaron."

John and Nick both were shocked at the condition that Sam was in. "What the hell happened?" John demanded as he quickly pulled Sam from the car and moved to put him in the truck.

Dean shook his head; it was getting harder and harder for him to think. He jumped when he felt a hand pull him up from the ground. "Come on Dean…don't worry your Dad and I will fix this. Let's get you next to Sam." Nick shared a concerned look with John. They could both see that Dean was fighting to keep his eyes open. "He's running a temperature John…should we leave him here with the car?"

Dean snapped his eyes open and shoved Nick aside. "I'm going!" He stated as he staggered towards the truck and got in beside Sam. He pulled his brother into his arms and began once again to provide what comfort he could to his brother.

John shook his head and jumped into the truck. A moment later, they were at the well. Dean once again stumbled from the truck and watched as John and Nick carefully removed Sam from the truck. "Place him in the circle John while I get ready." Nick called as he stood outside the circle. He closed his eyes and began to breathe in and out slowly.

John placed his son inside the circle. Pausing briefly to lean close to Sam and whisper into his ear. "You can do this son…your brother and I will be waiting for you. You hang on you hear me…don't give in to this bastard." John gently kissed Sam's forehead as he backed carefully out of the circle.

"Dad, I'm sorry…I never should have let him go with." Dean said softly, his head down.

John sighed. "Dean, do you honestly think you could have stopped your brother?"

"I should have tried harder!" Dean said loudly, lashing out at his father.

"Dean Winchester…don't you use that tone with me. Now you listen and you listen good. We don't have time for guilt…if you can't focus on helping, then you need to go back to the car." John watched as Dean straightened his shoulders.

"No sir…I'm not going anywhere without Sam." Dean watched as Nick began speaking.

"Aaron I know you can hear me. Your mother and father are here and want to talk to you. But you need to leave Sam now…it's time for you to cross over to your new life."

_Sam watched as the knife in Aaron's hand continued to cause pain. He knew that this was just a memory that Aaron was using it against him. As another pain caused Sam to scream in agony, he decided that it was time to put an end to this. Closing his eyes, Sam concentrated on pushing Aaron away. When he opened his eyes again, he was back facing Aaron only this time there was no Jake._

_"He left me again…the coward!" Aaron yelled as he looked around. "I'm going to kill you Sam and make him watch!"_

_Sam suddenly felt a calm come over him. He stared at Aaron and pushed back with all his strength. Aaron cried in surprise as he found himself being lifted from his feet. "What are you doing?"_

_"I'm doing what someone should have done to you a long time ago Aaron. I'm stopping you. You know you really are something. All your life you blamed your parents for your problems…but in the end, they were just an excuse. You were the weak one in your family. You allowed self pity to destroy you."_

"_I'm going to kill you Sam…I will make you suffer!" Aaron yelled as he continued to struggle._

_Sam could hear Nick calling for Aaron…he wasn't sure how he knew, but he had to get Aaron to leave so that Nick could banish him. "You know Aaron; I think I've had just about all the fun I can stand with you. It's time you moved on!"_

_"NO! I won't let you…I won't" Aaron screamed as Sam put the rest of his energy into expelling the spirit from him. The pain in his head continued to grow but he ignored it as he felt Aaron weakening._

Nick watched as the spirit of Aaron was expelled from Sam's body. Sam screamed and fell silent as Aaron hovered over the body of the unconscious man. "You haven't won…I will get back in, just you wait Sam!"

"John, you and Dean have to get Sam out of there now!" Nick yelled as he saw Jake and Becky stand between Aaron and Sam. "Jake and Becky won't be able to stop him for long...get him out!"

John and Dean both rushed into the circle, being careful not to break the salt line. The each placed one of Sam's arms over their shoulders and got him out of the circle. They gently laid Sam down on the ground. John quickly checked and sighed when he felt the strong pulse of his son beating beneath his searching fingers. "He's alive Dean…I think he's just exhausted."

Dean looked back into the circle and watched as the gray misty shapes moved around the confined space. He looked at Nick and watched as his body began to tremble before he spoke again. "Becky and Jake…the way is open. You can pass on."

John and Dean both watched in awe as two of the shapes moved upwards, they almost looked like they were entwined within each other as they moved into the night sky and disappeared from view.

"They are finally together." Nick said smiling. "Now Aaron, it's time for you to move on. All you have to do is follow them. They will be waiting for you. Don't be afraid." Nick said gently as if he was talking to a child.

_"No, I won't go and you can't make me leave." Aaron continued to push against the circle, looking for a way to escape._

Nick sighed. "Aaron, you have no where else to go here. You have to leave…you're time here is done."

_"No…I will get free and I will stay…you can't keep me here forever!" Aaron raged._

Dean and John watched as the gray shape continued to batter against the walls of its prison. "Nick it doesn't look like he wants to go." Dean said softly.

Nick shook his head sadly. "Fine Aaron, you leave me no choice." Nick began chanting in Latin, his voice getting louder as the wailing from the spirit increased.

John and Dean covered their ears as the sound was almost painful. Nick continued to chant, ignoring everything that was going on around him. As he came to the end of the banishment right, a loud scream could be heard from the circle as the spirit was forced higher and higher into the night…with a final agonized scream the spirit disappeared.

Nick fell to his knees, his head felt like it was going to split open. But they were all gone. He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder as he looked up into the eyes of John Winchester. "Good job son…I've never seen anything like that before."

Nick sat back and placed his head on his knees waiting for the pain to subside. "Yeah, it just takes a lot out of me…I wish he had wanted to go more peacefully. Just give me a moment John."

"Take your time. Dean and I will clean things up and get ready to head back to the hotel."

A short time later the weary hunters were all on their way back to the hotel. Dean was sitting in the back of the Impala, holding onto his still unconscious brother while Nick drove. John was leading the way in his truck. As they pulled into the parking lot, John smiled as he saw Missouri open the door to their room. "Well come on now…I don't have all day to stand around here. Get those boys in here so I can look after 'em"

Missouri shook her head as the ragged bunch of men entered the room. "Nick, you need to go next door and get some rest. John and I can handle these two here." Nick nodded as he headed next door. He was tired and a bed sounded real good right now.

John helped Dean get Sam situated on the bed and then guided his oldest son to his own bed. "You need to rest Dean. I'm going to get you the antibiotics that the doctor sent and you will take them…no argument!" John saw Dean struggling to stay awake.

"Sam…I need to help Sam" Dean said softly as the room continued to spin. He knew his father was right, but he couldn't rest until he knew that Sam was ok.

Missouri sat next to Sam. After a moment she smiled and patted the young man on the shoulder. "Your brother is going to be fine Dean…he's just sleeping. You know he wouldn't want you to make yourself sick…so you better do what your Daddy said and get some rest. Your Daddy and I will keep watch for a while."

Dean nodded, trusting that Missouri was right. "Fine…but you wake me if he needs me."

John helped Dean take his medicine and then placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Don't worry Dean, you'll both be fine." He watched as Dean's eyes closed.

"So Missouri, do you still play poker? I have a feeling it's going to be a long time before these two wake up." John grinned as Missouri pulled out the cards…yes it was good to know a mind reader once in a while…

TBC

Raven524: One more chapter to tie things up and another story comes to an end. Thanks to all of you who are managing to ignore the problems with the site recently. I really enjoyed all the comments on this story.


	16. Chapter 16 Epilogue

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun!

**Broken Chapter 16 – Epilogue**

Dean opened his eyes and groaned. His arm hurt and he felt like he'd been run over by a semi. He felt someone sit on the bed next to him and assumed it was Sam. "Hey bro' any chance of me getting some pain relievers?"

"Sure son, hold on." John smiled as he saw the shocked expression on Dean's face.

"Dad…how's Sammy?" Dean asked as it all came rushing back to him. He tried to sit up, but the room wouldn't stay still.

"Easy there son, you're fever only broke about an hour ago. You still need to rest and get your strength back. Don't worry; I'll stay here until you can watch out for Sam on your own."

"Where is everybody?" Dean noticed that Nick and Missouri were missing.

"They left for Missouri's house around lunch time. It seems that your friend Nick had arranged to have Missouri's car towed and fixed. He offered to drive her home and will then leave from there." John smiled as he handed Dean a bottle of water and the pain pills. "Are you hungry son? I can order something in."

Dean shook his head, he was still really tired. "No thanks Dad, I think I'll just sleep some more. Are you sure Sammy's ok?" Dean looked over at his brother's sleeping form.

John ran his hand through his hair. Sam had a restless night, but hadn't woken yet. The truth was, John was getting a little concerned. But he also needed Dean to mend. "He's just exhausted Dean…I'm sure he'll be waking up any time now. You need to get some more rest."

John sat back and watched as Dean drifted off to sleep again. He gently pulled the cover up and patted his son on the shoulder. He turned and walked over to check on his youngest son. Sam's face was bathed in sweat, his head tossing from side to side as if he was caught in a nightmare that wouldn't let him go. "Sammy, it's ok. Dean and I are here, you just need to wake up son."

_Sam was trapped. He couldn't seem to find his way out of his current nightmare. The recent attack by the spirit had broken down the fragile defenses that he had erected. As the demon approached him again with the fork, Sam cried out. "Please stop…I'll do it…I'll do anything just stop!"_

John moved over as he heard his son whimper yet again. "Sam…come on son, you need to wake up. Can you hear me Sam? I want you to wake up this minute." John watched as Sam's eyes flew open, fear etched in them as he pulled away.

"Sam, what's going on…you can tell me son, what are you seeing?" John coaxed. He watched as Sam blinked, trying to get his raging emotions under control. But John didn't want him to get control. He wanted Sam to let the emotions out…Missouri had told him that he had to get Sam to open up to him and Dean. He heard his older son getting out of bed. "Dad, what's wrong?"

"Leave me alone!" Sam yelled as he rolled off the bed and headed towards the far wall. He sat down and pulled his knees up. Dean went to comfort his brother but was stopped by his father. "Dean leave him alone, he has to tell us what happened, he can't keep this bottled up inside him anymore."

"But Dad, he needs me!" Dean started to argue until he saw the look on his father's face. John was on a mission and nothing was going to stop it.

Sam heard his father and brother arguing and tried to pull himself together. He knew he was the reason they were fighting. "Stop it…both of you!" Sam said as he stood and faced them both. "I'm tired of you both treating me like I have no say in what goes on in my life…I'm here right in front of you…all you have to do is talk to me!"

John and Dean both looked at Sam, not sure how to handle the rollercoaster of Sam's emotions. But John wasn't going to let a temper tantrum from his adult son stop him. "Watch your mouth Samuel. We are both trying to help you."

Sam laughed almost hysterically. "Help me…how can you help me? Can you stop the nightmares? God, I can't even eat without seeing…without feeling." Sam gagged and headed for the bathroom.

John watched as Dean rushed after his brother. This was going to be tougher than he thought, but if he had to make Sam mad at him, then he'd endure it. He watched as Dean gently rubbed Sam's back, coaxing his brother to calm down. He went and sat in a chair waiting for the boys to come back into the room.

Dean could feel his brother trembling under his touch. He also heard the sobs in between the spasms as he watched his brother falling apart in front of him. He knew what his father was trying to do, he was trying to get Sam to talk…to let the poison out. "Sam…you have to tell us what happened. This is going to kill you if you keep trying to bottle it up."

Sam sat back and looked at Dean, his eyes hollow. "I can't Dean…I just can't. I'm afraid if I admit it happened…it will be too real."

"Well, you don't have much of a choice here Sam…either you tell us or you let it destroy you. The choice is yours." Dean stood and left the room. It was the hardest thing he ever did, but he knew that if they didn't get to the bottom of this now…his brother would never be able to heal.

John watched as Dean exited the bathroom, a grim look on his face. "How is he?" John asked.

"He'll be out in a minute…Dad we have to get him to talk…but I don't know how." Dean sighed; he was used to offering comfort and advice. He knew what needed to happen was going to cause his brother pain and he hated it.

Sam walked out and sat on the bed, his head hanging and his hands trembling in his lap. He looked like a whipped puppy. But John knew it was now or never. "Sam…Dean and I want to help you…but you have to help yourself. Tell me what happened to you. How did you get those wounds on your body?" John ordered, watching as Sam flinched at the tone in his voice.

Dean moved over to sit beside Sam; he placed his hand on Sam's shoulders. "Come on Sam. You can do this; let's start with what happened after the demon pulled you down the stairs."

John stood in front of Sam and took a deep breath hoping that this wouldn't make things worse. "Samuel I need to know what happened on the hunt…report!"

Sam's head snapped up and his body began to shudder. But he started to talk. "I woke up in a…in a room…I was tied to a chair…he came in with a tray…Oh God…" Sam stopped as the tears welled up; he grabbed onto Dean's hand and squeezed as the memories came back.

Dean gritted his teeth and stayed quiet as he and his father listened to Sam tell them what had happened. A few times Sam stopped and acted like he couldn't go on, but each time John would order Sam to continue. It took over 2 hours before Sam was able to finish. He felt exhausted and waited for the condemnation that he knew would be coming from his father.

John swallowed and wiped the tears that had fallen as he listened to his son's tortured account of what had happened to him. He wished that he could have saved his son from enduring it. But now he had to make sure that Sam could survive it. He knelt down in front of his son and gently lifted his head. "Sammy, I'm sorry that you had to go through that. But I'm so proud of you son. I've heard of men who went through a lot less and ended up in a psych ward…but you, you not only survived, but you pulled yourself together long enough to help find your brother and expel an angry spirit. You are not weak Sam…In fact; you're probably one of the strongest men I know."

Sam looked into his father's eyes and saw understanding; he looked at Dean and saw the same in his eyes as well. "Thanks Dad" Sam said simply as he took a shuddering breath and let his brother's hand go.

"Now, I'm going to get us some food and both of you boys are going to eat. I have to get back on the road and finish the job I was on." John said as he walked out the door. He knew that Dean would finish healing Sam and he needed time to get his own emotions back under control.

"Well, I'm surprised he lasted that long. Dad hates chick flick moments even more than I do!" Dean said as he patted Sam on the back.

"Thanks Dean." Sam said softly as he stood and looked at his brother.

"For what?"

"For not giving up on me. I know you didn't want to take me with on that last hunt, you didn't know if I could back you up…but you did anyway." Sam's emotions were still raw.

Dean saw the need in his brother's eyes and sighed. "Look Sam, I knew that somehow you would have my back…you always do. You helped find me even though you were still having flash backs. You faced that spirit and managed to expel him so that Nick could banish him. Once again, you never flinched from what needed to be done. I will never want anyone else except you by my side." Dean watched as Sam smiled. God how he loved those dimples!

"Now…we need to make an important decision before Dad returns." Dean said seriously.

Sam looked at Dean wondering what was wrong. "What Dean?"

"Who gets the shower first…tell you what, I'll race you!" Dean took off and ran for the bathroom, slamming the door shut. He smiled as he heard his brother giggle in the other room. "What the hell are you laughing about?"

"Oh nothing…I'm just wondering when you will notice that there are no towels in there. But then I think toilet paper will be enough to keep your modesty in tact. Once sheet should do it!" Sam smiled as he heard his brother curse.

"Damn it Sammy, where are all the towels!"

Sam laughed harder as he noticed them piled neatly on the dresser. His father must have gotten them from housekeeping some time earlier and never had a chance to put them in the bathroom.

"Hold on Dean, I'm calling housekeeping…Greta will be happy to bring you your towels!"

John had been standing outside the door gathering his thoughts when he heard his two sons talking. John smiled as he heard his two sons carrying on. He knew that Sam wasn't totally out of the woods yet. But somehow he knew that he would be just fine. He continued heading for his truck to get them some food and then he'd be on the road again. Maybe someday they would all be able to be together again. But until he found the demon, he knew he had to keep going on alone.

The End!

Raven524: Another story comes to an end. With the site being so picky, this was definitely a challenge, hopefully you will all get the alerts some day. In the meantime…off to start another story! Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews. You guys are great!


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